Where to Find Laser Equipment and Parts

A large number of companies sell lasers, laser components, and related optics
to the hobbyist and experimenter. As with everything else these days, the
trend is toward putting their catalogs on the Web, in some cases complete
with photos of each item. There is a fairly wide range of prices so shopping
around is recommended. At least, your mouse can often to the walking.
The quality from places like Edmund Scientific is very high but you pay for
it. For many purposes, much cheaper alternatives are available.

It is also possible to buy from private individuals on-line via classified ads
in USENET newsgroups, other discussion groups and bulletin boards, auctions,
and private Web sites.

Where actual manufacturer's model numbers are listed in the catalog or on the
Web page, it is a good idea to confirm that the specifications actually do
match. Inaccuracies in catalog entries are very common (like a HeNe laser
listed as 5 mW that turns out to be only .5 mW, oops). Similarly, it would
be disappointing to say the least if you blew a visible laser diode because
the driver board actually required a regulated input when the listing claimed
otherwise. :-(

Compare prices as well. There can be a wide variation in the price of the
identical system or component among the various surplus houses or other
suppliers. Haggling (at least with private individuals) may get you a better
deal especially if you can identify lower prices elsewhere. More expensive
items may be in better condition or newer, but not always - and it may not
matter for your purposes. Consider using COD (Cash On Delivery) for payment
if available (instead of a check, money order, or credit card) when dealing
with a company for the first time or when in doubt about their integrity. For
purchases from individuals, in addition to COD, a partial payment arrangement
(e.g., 50% percent up front, 50% after receipt and inspection of merchandise)
shouldn't scare off someone who has nothing to hide if they can verify *your*
integrity. The latter shouldn't be a problem if you are a regular contributer
to USENET newsgroups or frequent buyer and/or seller on eBay! :)

A commercial supplier should know how to pack and ship fragile merchandise to
prevent damage. However, when ordering from a private individual or if you
should need to send laser parts through the mail, or via UPS, Fed-X, Airborn,
etc., packing should be done such that the box can withstand being drop-kicked
from a 10 story building. Four inches of bubble-wrap or styrofoam peanuts on
all sides should be considered a minimum with adequate protection between
items as well. Insurance is also a worthwhile expense though successfully
filing a claim could be an ordeal. Stickers marked 'Fragile' and 'Do Not
Drop' may just make the package a more inviting target. :-)

Then, when you receive your merchandise, make sure you actually were sold
what was expected. Confirm that it behaves as advertised. I have received
HeNe laser power supplies marked with reversed polarity, for example. Honest
(or otherwise) mistakes in packing and labelling do occur. And, of course, DO
NOT open the inner packaging or attempt to power an item that was shipped in
error as getting a refund may be much more difficult if the seller can
honestly claim you damaged something.

I've only had to file an insurance claim once, with the U.S. Post Office
(USPS). That was for a 15 to 20 mW HeNe laser head I had gotten along with a
power supply on eBay. The bore of the laser head was fractured, most likely
due to the package falling onto a concrete floor. (The power supply was not
damaged.) From my perspective, the packing was not totally adequate but would
have been fine for ordinary handling, even tossing it onto a pile of boxes.
Thus, I would have not been terribly unhappy to have the the claim denied with
an excuse of "inadequate packing". Then, I would go back to the seller and
it is likely we would have come to some acceptable agreement. However, I
filled out the claim form, obtained the insurance receipt and an itemized
cost receipt from the seller, and included a description along with a diagram
of the damage. I went into my local post office with these as well as the
box and all packing material, the broken laser head partially disassembled so
the damage could be easily seen, and a mockup of the power supply to show how
everything was arranged. Since the claim was for only $50, they paid it on
the spot. It turns out that $50 is the USPS limit for this - otherwise it
would have had to go through the system, with an uncertain and no doubt long
time to completion. (I did forgo reimbursement for part of the shipping cost
but figured that a bird in the hand.....) Aside from just getting in under the
instant payment limit in this case, one key to getting an insurance claim
paid without hassle is no doubt having all the original packaging and complete
documentation to present when filing the claim. And, with the value only
being $50, I was dealing with a PO clerk, who had no vested interest in
minimizing the cost to USPS or receiving bonuses based on the dollar value
of rejected claims! :)

It is often difficult to determine the capabilities of a particular model
laser in terms of wavelength and power output based on a single catalog
listing or description alone. (For testing of an laser you have, see the
chapter(s) for that specific laser type.)

Obviously, for a model that is still being sold, the manufacturer's literature
or Web site will often provide enough info. User and service manuals may also
be available as well as for older lasers that they still support. In addition,
there may be many variations on a given model depending on the type of optics
installed and possible tube replacement or upgrade.

Unfortunately, few manufacturers maintain detailed specifications or other
information readily accessible (e.g., on-line) for older models. After all,
why should they help you fix the laser that you've been happy with for the
last 5 years for only $500 when they can sell you a shiny new and improved
one for $20,000! :(

There are a variety of other places to look for specifications but their
accuracy can vary based on the objectives of the provider (e.g., honesty,
vested interests, optimism, technical knowledge).

In perusing the various laser offerings from time-to-time at the
eBay Auction Site as well as the on-line
or print catalogs of various surplus outfits, it very often seems that given
the model or size of the laser, the claimed power output ratings are
considerably higher than what may be realistic while still achieving a
reasonable system lifetime, or are not possible at all. The most common
error (intentional or not) is to use the CDRH safety sticker value rather
than the manufacturer's or measured power output in the description of the
laser. This is an upper bound - the actual capability can be anything
lower! And, even if the seller states that they measured the actual
output power, there's no guarantee that their laser power meter was
calibrated within the last century or that they knew how to use it properly!

Here are some comments on laser power and other claims that you should
be aware of before purchasing a used laser:

Helium-Neon (HeNe) lasers: The power discrepancy is particularly
evident with HeNe lasers where the model number and/or dimensions are
provided. The tendency seems to be - possibly due to lack of knowledge,
possibly for other reasons - to use the CDRH safety sticker rating (which
is an upper bound for the laser safety classification) rather than the
actual measured or specified optical power. Sometimes they do say 'max'
(possibly in the fine print). This doesn't mean it is (or ever was)
possible to run the laser at that power, and the actual output may be less
than half of the maximum value listed (assuming the laser is functioning
near its new product ratings). HeNe tubes are essentially constant optical
output power devices - there is no way to get more power either with greater
tube current (beam power actually goes down) or by using pulsed drive. For
example, a HeNe laser with a CDRH Class IIIa 5 mW sticker may produce as
little as 1 mW when new and even less after thousands of hours of use! A
true 5 mW HeNe laser head will be at least 15 inches long and have a
Class IIIb safety sticker. A classic defense of using the 'max' rating
is to say that "the laser was spec'd as (say) 5 mW and thus calibrated
at the factory for this power level but could go much higher". Balderdash!
The only way to trim power of an HeNe laser (without an external attenuator)
is to (1) run it with reverse polarity to sputter overcoat the anode-end
mirror (which is irreversible) or (2) to slightly misalign one or both
mirrors (which would compromise beam quality and stability and isn't likely
to be done on purpose). Having said that, it is true that slight
misalignment of the mirrors is common (either from use, thermal cycling,
shock, or less than perfect quality control at the factory) and boosting
power by some (usually modest) amount may be possible, even likely, by
tweaking the mirrors - just don't count on it - or on a huge increase. But,
first see the sections starting with: Problems
with Mirror Alignment because it is very easy to totally mess up the
alignment (or even break the tube) and never see any coherent light from your
buy of a lifetime HeNe laser forever-after!

Note that there are some multi-mode (non-TEM00) HeNe tubes with wider bores
and a different mirror curvature that produce up to perhaps twice the power
output for a given tube length. However, with multiple axial modes, these
are not suitable for many applications like interferometry and holography.
They are also not very common compared to single-mode TEM00 HeNe tubes.

Also, the power output of non-red HeNe lasers - green (543.5 nm), yellow
(593.9 nm), and orange (611.8 nm) - will be only about 1/10th to 1/4th that of
an equivalent red (632.8 nm) one. Thus, a 20 inch green laser head is good
for about 2 mW (compared to 8 to 15 mW for red) and a 10 inch head, perhaps
only .2 mW (1 to 2 mW for red). As with normal red HeNe lasers, there is no
way to boost power and the CDRH sticker rating is normally much greater than
what is actually possible. However, the beam WILL look a lot brighter mW/mW
compared to red due to the response curve of the eye, which can be misleading
to sellers and buyers alike.

Note: Since the gain of these wavelengths is so low, they also have a
shorter life and the chance of finding working surplus green or yellow
HeNe lasers is much lower than for red. I would not recommend bidding on
an eBay auction for one of these unless guaranteed to be working. The
likelihood of the problem for an "unknown condition" green or yellow HeNe
laser being just mirror alignment is small to none!

And, just because the male Alden connector of the
laser head fits into the mating female socket of a randomly selected power
supply doesn't mean they will work together! HeNe lasers of all sizes
usually use the identical connectors! (Many people have been known to throw
out perfectly good HeNe tubes and heads if they failed to start or operated
erratically when in fact, power supply compatibility was the real problem!)
On the other hand, don't assume compatibility just because the laser tube or
head and power supply were supposed to work together - many of these
same people have no idea what this means and make the assumption that because
the laser worked once (if that), it would be fine forever. The life of the
HeNe tube and/or power supply may be shortened and/or power output may suffer.

Large-frame HeNe lasers like the Siemens LGK-7676/L/S and functionally
similar Spectra-Physics 107/907 which show up on eBay and from surplus
dealers either untested or without measured output power are probably
high mileage tubes which may run but will not meet new power specs. However,
they are very well built, really nice to play with, and probably have a lot
of life left. Just don't expect good as new performance from them.
Around 50 percent of rated power is typical.

Finally, HeNe laser heads in like-new condition that show up as surplus or on
eBay without end-caps (output aperture and Alden connectors) were probably
manufacturing rejects pulled from the line before being completed since they
didn't meet spec in any of a number of areas including: output power value,
stability with warmup, mode cycling percentage, polarization ratio, or other
aspects of beam quality. Thus, what you end up with may have undisclosed
problems. This is also likely true of bare HeNe tubes (often without any
identifying labels) - especially 'other color' (than red) types in pristine
condition but where the locking collars or mirror adjusters are loose and
the seller suggests that "alignment is all that is needed to make them lase
and then you will have gotten a great deal". Note that it is likely that
some of these have found their way to resale via less than legitimate
channels - especially if the serial numbers have been removed! Even if
they do work or can be made to work, items like this have trouble written
all over them. And, don't believe claims that tubes were "purchased new and
used very little" if they don't have any labels. A tube sold as a tube (not
part of a laser head) will almost certainly be labeled with model and serial
numbers at the very least, usually with a sticker on the side. Similarly, a
laser head should also have a similar label. It's the law in both cases.
And, even the manufacturer can't tell specs by inspection! :)

Having said all this, a used or off-spec HeNe laser may still be just fine
for many purposes as long as you understand exactly what you are getting.
For more information on HeNe laser sizes and power output, see the sections
starting with: Internal Mirror HeNe Tubes up
to 35 mW - Red and Other Colors. And some have very interesting and
unusual behavior. :)

Argon and/or krypton (Ar/Kr) ion lasers: It is much more difficult
to determine actual ratings of small air-cooled Ar/Kr ion lasers based on size
alone because the output from the same size laser head can span a range of
100:1 or more depending on specific model, age, operating current, or
condition. The advertisement may specify the output when running at a
current level that would result in a tube life of only a few hours or one not
even obtainable with a typical power supply.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) lasers: For CO2 and other gas lasers where
models are even less well known and physical size may be an even less
reliable indication of capabilities, examining a photo on a Web page or
in a catalog isn't enough. And, damage or deterioration of the laser tube,
water jacket, or optics cannot be determined without a detailed (in person)
inspection.

Diode lasers: There is often even less info available on these
unless they are from a well known laser company distributor like Edmund
Scientific. Both wavelength and color may be optimistically specified.
For example, laser pointers listed as 650 nm may actually be much closer to
660 nm which does not appear as bright and is therefore less desirable. The
absolute maximum output power may be advertised but a laser diode really
cannot be run at this level without a proper driver circuit, cooling, and
a calibrated laser power meter to set it up - else bye-bye laser diode. :(
And, the power ratings on the CDRH sticker, if it exists, may be grossly
higher than what is possible even for a microsecond.

I would recommend against even considering the purchase of high power
diode lasers or laser diodes from eBay or other similar source unless they
are supplied in their original sealed packaging, there is a no questions
asked money back warranty that is enforceable, or you know the seller to be
honest and aware of proper handling procedures for laser diodes. If you
insist on bidding on one of these, compare the any specifications provided
by the seller with the device's datasheet if possible. Sometimes, very
professional looking charts will be included on the auction page without
mentioning that they show a weak or damaged diode.

Note that there are several sellers offering what they claim to be high power
laser diodes suitable for DPSS laser pumping where a wavelength in the
808 to 810 nm range is needed. However, many of the surplus
high power laser diodes originate from graphics arts equipment like
platesetters which almost invariably use 820 to 880 nm diodes, most
likely for cost reasons. So, an unscrupulous or unknowledgeable seller
may be passing these off as DPSS laser pump diodes when in fact they are
pretty worthless for that application. In fact, the only hobbyist use I
know for these would be as burning lasers since the beam can be focused
very nicely to carve wood or plastic or an unsuspecting finger. :( :)
If what you're interested in is a diode pump for a DPSS laser,
make sure the seller guarantees the wavelength to be close enough to 808 nm
that modest cooling or heating (+10/-15 °C from 25 °C based on 0.3
nm/°C can tune the wavelength to the optimum value for peak absorption
in the lasing crystal (usually, Nd:YVO4 or Nd:YAG). Just showing
a photo of one of these diodes producing green light from a DPSS laser
crystal is not a sufficient test as there may be some output but it will
be only a small fraction of what's possible with a diode emitting at
808 nm. Some sellers claim to have gotten significant green power
from a DPSS laser crystal using diodes that look identical. My guess is
that either (1) they were smoke'n sump'n or (2) the particular diode they
were using was actually around 808 nm but that's no guarantee that the
one in the auction will be as well.

Lamp Pumped Solid State (LPSS) lasers: Likewise, for pulsed or
CW LPSS lasers provided as kits of parts (which is probably most common for
types like Nd:YAG or ruby other than the M60 rangefinder), be aware that some
surplus laser parts suppliers are offering components that simply will not
work as advertised. See the section: Comments
on Surplus Solid State Lasers and Components for additional details.

Where an entire LPSS laser head or complete laser is offered, the only way to
really know what is can do is to check the manufacturer's specs or test it.
In most cases, the seller isn't able or won't do this so you're on your own.

Diode Pumped Solid State (DPSS) lasers have all the potential
problems of both diode lasers and solid state lasers so the comments above
apply. In addition, it is quite likely that a complete DPSS laser being
offered on eBay - especially with a low opening bid or low reserve - if it
works at all, is likely to have end-of-life pump diodes and thus reduced
output power and poor stability. Green DPSS lasers like the Coherent
Compass 532 series show up with reduced output requiring either an expensive
(and possibly very complex or impossible) pump diode transplant to meet
specs, or a total electrical realignment to operate stably at reduced power.
Those like the Coherent Compass 315M and 415M often are sold without the ($2K)
Coherent controller. Both of these require a laser diode driver and
three (3) TEC drivers to achieve their rated output power and stability - not
something for a casual hobbyist type to construct. Unless the condition and
requirements for a DPSS laser can be reliably determined, such a system
could turn out to be entirely useless for serious applications including
holography and laser shows.

Furthermore, as with other types of lasers, the CDRH rating is almost always
much higher than anything that can be achieved and sustained in practice. For
example, Coherent C315M-100 lasers have a "300 mW max" rating and Uniphase
uGreen 4601-10, -20, and -50 lasers have a "125 mW" max rating. Realistic
maximum output power is not likely to exceed 1/3 to 1/2 of either of these
and may be much less in the case of the lower power uGreen lasers.

Attempt to determine what is actually possible - don't take the seller's word
for it. You can't confirm actual output over the Internet or from a catalog
but at least you will know that you aren't likely to get 5 mW from a HeNe
laser head only 10 inches long, 300 mW from a surplus ALC-60X argon ion laser
without a meltdown, or 125 mW from *any* Uniphase uGreen laser!

Many people also claim that the lasers they are selling have low hours or were
only used briefly a few times ("only driven by a little old lady to church on
Sundays."). In most cases they actually don't have a clue and such
claims carry about as much weight as the campaign promises of politicians. :)
Unless the laser was originally purchased new, they (or you) may have no real
way of determining how much it was used. For HeNe lasers, this may not matter
that much since if the laser works when you get it, it will probably continue
to work for as many hours as you are likely to care. But for ion lasers,
you could be getting a low pressure tube that is on its way out. While there
is usually an elapsed time meter present on ion lasers it isn't a reliable
indication of past use as the tube may have been swapped or a mechanical meter
may have recycled back to zero (more than once!) and like automobile
odometers, can be reset. With other types of lasers, it may be even more
difficult to determine the amount of use. High power diode lasers and diode
pumped solid state lasers may have a life expentancy of only a few thousand
hours to begin with and the one being offered may be near the end of useful
life. And, if abused at any time, all bets are off and it may not even make
a good boat anchor!

Finally, here are some other common statements paraphrased from various
actual eBay offerings:

Description: Laser tube ionizes but I don't know if it lases.
Translation: There is no beam when driven with my power supply.

Description: These argon ion laser tubes are nearly new and ready to
use.
Translation: They are not split in half but their condition is otherwise
unknown.

Description: I bypassed the switch and it powered right up.
Translation: The Power light came on.

Description: This auction is for three unused lasers.
Translation: I haven't attempted to power these pieces of junk since
pulling them from the dumpster.

Description: This laser has very low hours.
Translation: I haven't used it much since pulling it from the same
dumpster.

Description: This HeNe laser power supply is rated 5 mA at 1.5 kV but
will run four foot long tubes if the input voltage is tripled.
Translation: The long tubes might flash just before the smoke comes out
of the power supply.

Description: Untested.
Translation: It looks like a laser or, I had Joe plut it in and it behaved
like a brick but I did not test it. :)

Description: Laser is marked 15.3 mW and came from working equipment.
Translation: Original power output was 15.3 mW but now may be much lower.

Description: Laser has power output of 8.5 mW but I am unable to test
it.
Translation: Original power output was 8.5 mW but it may be dead now.

Description: Laser is in original factory crate.
Translation: Broken laser was removed from service and put into the crate
in which the replacement was shipped.

Description: The resale value is over $1,000.
Translation: The original highly marked up price for a replacement in one
particular piece of equipment was over $1,000.

Description: This laser is used, working condition is unknown. Tube is
cracked and broken.
Translation: The remains of this laser may be useful as a doorstop.

Description: Laser system is complete, just plug it in. Untested but
in excellent cosmetic condition.
Translation: I plugged it in and nothing happened but it looks nice.

Description: The capillary on this green HeNe laser tube is broken off
inside the cathode, but this won't affect operation as it doesn't block
the beam.
Translation: The already very marginal gain for the green wavelength is now
much lower. The tube is now only useful to salvage the mirrors.

Description: This laser is a little scratched up on the outside but looks
great inside.
Translation: I plugged it in, turned it on, and nothing happened.

Description: These lasers haven't been tested in over a year and are
sold as-is.
Translation: Over a year ago they didn't work.

Description: Powers up and appears to be in good working condition
accept for a broken bulb in the laser. Guaranteed not to be dead
on arrival.
Translation: The laser tube is smashed but the power supply lights
come on. It might make a decent door stop.

Description: These HeNe laser mirrors are new in bag.
Translation: The mirrors were ripped from dead HeNe laser tubes but are
now in a new plastic bag.

Description: We have tested this unit for power, and it does power up.
Light is also emitted. Functionality beyond that is unknown, so it will
be offered as-is.
Translation: The tube is dead and it's just blue bore light but it
looks nice.

Description: In good physical condition from deactivated inventory.
Translation: They kept the dead junk on the books to boost the value of
the company to investors.

Description: This laser has been tested. (No further comments.)
Translation: This laser had been tested and is dead.

Description: Don't know much about this setup, but the control box
powers up fine.
Translation: The power light comes on but the HeNe laser power supply
brick or HeNe laser head is totally dead.

Description: This power supply will run HeNe lasers up to 5 mW.
Translation: This power supply will run HeNe lasers with safety
sticker ratings up to 5 mW, actual rated power of 1 or 2 mW.

Description: This laser came from a working environment.
Translation: This laser was found stuffed in a cabinet outside
the clean room.

Whether buying from a surplus outfit or a private individual, don't expect
to get a new laser for bargain basement prices. The well known laser surplus
places may buy up reject inventory from major laser companies like Melles
Griot - laser heads and tubes that didn't meet spec even when new. Unless
the item is clearly stated to be new and meets new specs, this can probably
be assumed. If the model number is given, sometimes it's possible to tell a
reject. For example, with Melles Griot lasers, a '-Q' suffix (e.g.,
05-LYR-171-Q) means that the yellow HeNe laser head (in this case) didn't
meet specs but still lases somewhat - its performance wasn't so terrible
that it went to the crusher. (I have one that varies between 1.5 and 2.5
mW of yellow on a several minute cycle due to 3.391 um IR mode competition.
It's still a very nice laser but not useful for many applications.)
However, even if you know what to look for, the Q designation may not make
it to sticker attached to the laser. With private sales there are several
more levels of unknowns unless the laser was purchased new (unlikely!), the
seller worked for a company that purchased it new before the project was
cancelled, or the pedigree is completely known. :)

And the most amusing listings I've seen on eBay lately go something like:
"Argon-Ion Laser Tube Air-Cooled Add Gas and Go". Right, like all that is
needed is a bottle of argon gas from your friendly welding supplier. Not!
Even if these are usable at all (they could very well be rejects), just a
bit more is needed. See the chapters on argon/krypton ion lasers before
you end up with an expensive paperweight.

The only real way to protect yourself from deceptive or exaggerated advertising
claims is a combination of getting the detailed specifications, buying from
a reputable supplier, and obtaining a purchase arrangement that includes a
binding money back guarantee in writing or some other way of cancelling a deal
for merchandise that turns out not to be or do what was claimed!

Of course, once you receive your laser, the only way to be truly sure of the
output power is with a laser power meter or by comparison with another laser
of known performance.

Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. You aren't likely
to be the only one to have 'discovered' a bargain - if no one else has bid it
up at eBay there is probably a very good reason!

Here are some assorted suggestions to optimize the buying experience and
get the highest prices for your laser and high tech junk, err, merchandise.
These are written with an auction in mind but most apply to classified ads
and newsgroup postings (where permitted):

Be truthful and complete in your description. For lasers, include
the actual output power if relevant, not just the safety information.
If the item has known defects which affect functionality, list them.
You might get away with stretching the truth a few times but eventually,
your reputation will suffer.

Include a few selected small photos of the equipment,
inside and out. Use thumbnail links to high resolution photos but
don't force them to be loaded unless requested. Not everyone has
a cable modem, DSL, or a T3 line!

Make some effort to compose the photos so they show your item(s) in
the best light and with decent clarity to show knob and meter scales,
labels, etc.

Take a minute to do some basic dusting and cleaning. If the item looks
like it has been at the bottom of a sewer, you won't get the best price!

If you can't take photos of the actual equipment and want to use some
stock photos from a manufacturer's Web site or brochure, state clearly
the origin of the photos and that they are "typical" and not of the exact
items that are being offered. Above all, don't just grab something off
the Web without permission! That's a copyright violation. If you can't
or don't want to get permission, use a link to their Web site instead.
The laser community is small enough that it's usually obvious when there
is plagerism.

Include all label information in the text description even if it doesn't
make sense to you.

Keep the listing simple. My advice is to NOT use Java or Javascript
since it doesn't add anything. Flashing and gyrating animations take
longer to load and may annoy viewers of your auctions. Also,
keep the Web HTML to the basics as well - various browser versions may
choke on fancy tables and other more involved HTML. Avoid pop-ups like
the plague. :) And, view your listing once its uploaded and "live",
make sure everything is there and the photos show up! Then you can
easily fix it before there are any bids.

As with photos, don't drop someone else's description into your listing
without permission. Use a link to their Web site instead.

Be clear about the shipping and any other costs above the asking or bid
price. Include the approximate shipping weight and your ZIP code so buyers
can estimate shipping costs if you don't have them listed. Don't short
change yourself by omitting the cost and weight of essential packaging
materials. Just don't be greedy and attempt to boost your income with
clearly inflated S&H. People don't like to be hit with IPM (Increased
Profit Margin)!

Make an attempt to test items if at all possible. The bid price is
likely to be many times higher for a "tested and guaranteed not DOA" item
than for the identical item "untested, sold as-is". For a single
one of a kind HeNe laser power supply, this may not be worth it. But if
you will be selling a couple dozen, the cost of a laser head for testing
will easily be made up on the first or second sale and the laser head can
always be sold afterwards.

For "reserve auctions", my recommendation is that the reserve price be
included in the description but that's your preference. I get annoyed
bidding on something to only find out there was a ridiculously high
reserve on it. Better yet is to simply start the bidding at what you
consider the minimum acceptable price for the item.

List the forms of payment accepted and any additional charges for
the use of money transfer services like PayPal.

Include a brief summary of the conditions of sale including whether
there is any sort of guarantee. This can be a link if desired.

With respect to returns, my recommendation is that items should
be returnable in undamaged condition within say, 10 days, minus shipping
charges if they were correctly represented. If misrepresented, then
the seller should pay shipping both ways as well as any buyer costs
(e.g., money transfer service fees) associated with the transaction.

Respond to email promptly, be courteous, and answer in complete
properly punctuated sentences. This will give the potential buyer
the feeling you care about them.

After the sale, make an effort to pack the item properly with enough
cushioning so the gorillas at the shipping company can't break it even if
they try really hard. :) For a small laser tube, this means 3 or 4 inches
of styrofoam peanuts and/or small-bubble bubble wrap on all sides; for large
lasers, this plus a box within a box or crate approach with appropriate
damage insurance and documentation to show original condition and fair
market value. See the other sections on shipping in this chapter.

Use either a shipping company that has tracking (UPS, FedEx, etc.) or
the USPS with "Delivery Confirmation" so you know the package at least
got to its destination and the buyer can't claim non-delivery.

An automated "checkout" procedure is most convenient for buyers but
only if it works smoothly and it's clear how and when to use it!

The following applies to both the buyer and seller: Always assume that your
package is likely to be tossed around like a bail of hay and that 'Fragile'
stickers (or those silly icon that no one understands) just make good targets
for drop-kick practice! If you are shipping the laser, make sure it is packed
to withstand a nuclear bomb; if you are the buyer insist that the seller pack
it to withstand a nuclear bomb - and offer to pay extra for shipping and
packing material if necessary!

Having said all that, I did a very scientific test with one of my dead
Spectra-Physics 084-1 barcode scanner HeNe laser tubes from which I had
already cannibalized the mirrors. This is about 10 inches long with a spider
supporting the bore (the most fragile part in an HeNe tube subjected to
mechanical shock) at about the halfway point. I used about 2 to 3 inches of
bubble wrap all around and stuffed it into a worn cardboard box about 5" x 6"
x 13" 'sealed' with an elastic band. I then abused this package to every way
possible short of using a nuclear bomb (which were temporarily out of stock):
Tossing it across the room, dropping on various sides and corners with and
without spin from 7 feet onto a concrete floor, kicking it through the
uprights, sitting on it, etc. The mirrorless tube survived just fine - the
bore was well supported. What does this mean? Probably not much except for
this particular model HeNe tube and it is still possible that the bore shifted
slightly within the spider. There is no way to know that for sure without
testing on a live tube (but it can also generally be corrected). However, in
all likelihood, the typical HeNe tube would work just fine if packed in this
manner (or better) even after all the abuse OOPS could dish out. :) Of course,
an entire external mirror laser would likely be a much different story,
especially one with a long plasma tube. And even if the glass parts survive,
circuit boards and structural components can fracture from relatively low G
forces if not well supported (due to poor design).

Of course, the general rule is: If you ship a dead laser wrapped only in a
single layer of brown paper, it will arrive in perfect condition. But, if you
ship a functional laser in 6 inches of foam inside a box inside 12 inches of
bubble wrap inside another box inside a crate, it will arrive in a thousand
pieces. :) And if you then try to file a claim, it is possible for the
carrier to insist that no amount of packing material is adequate.

And as far as plastering the package with "Fragile" and "Handle with Care"
stickers, I'm not convinced that there is any correlation between the
number, size, and color of the stickers and survival
rate. There may even be a negative correlation - such markings simply
make your package a more inviting target. Even putting a high value
on a package - not to be able to claim it if there is damage but simply
to make the shipper take more care in handling - may not work. So, as
noted above, the only way to have reasonable assurance of a laser or
any delicate or fragile equipment arriving intact is to pack so that
it can be dropped from a 747 at cruising altitude without a parachute
and not be damaged.

The only relatively common similar item I know of that is more fragile
than a laser tube is a rotating anode X-ray tube. (This is what X-ray
types call the "insert", not the entire X-ray head.) With these, the heavy
anode/motor assembly - which may weigh several pounds - is attached to
the glass envelope only at one end with most of the mass at the
unsupported end. So, even though the glass is rather thick and would
normally survive some trauma, a relatively modest physical shock will
cause the tube to fracture. To have any chance of survival during
shipping, the anode/motor assembly must either be secured to a rigid
structure as it is when mounted in the X-ray head assembly so
that it can't flex with respect to the glass envelope, or the entire glass tube
must be packed with something like 12 inches of soft foam rubber all around to
minimize the g-forces when the box drops onto the sorting conveyer from
10 feet up. And even this is no guarantee.

Note that no matter how well packed a laser is, shipping companies may give
you a hard time about insurance claims and point to some disclaimer in their
contract printed in 2 point type that disallows any coverage for lasers
and other scientific apparatus. Some don't even consider the manufacturer's
original packaging to be adequate even for computer monitors, let alone
lasers. Of course, the seller may have simply sent you a broken laser. :(

Here are some somewhat humorous but all too true guidelines. This was
originally posted to the USENET newsgroup alt.lasers for a specific
shipping company, whose name I have deleted.

Many years of experience has shown that insurance claims through shipping
companies are next to impossible to recover. Their reasons are as follows
and they will deny claims in the following order:

You did not insure the item. If you did go to Step 2.

Item was incorrectly packed. They will stall about 1 to 2 months to
have someone inspect the package. If packed well go to Step 3.

Read the print in the shipping booklet. Glass and ceramic items
are probably not covered. Go to Step 4.

Take them to court. Unless you feel like supporting the legal
profession, you won't win anyway. give it up. Go to Step 5.

If the item was insured and clearly damaged in transit (like a
forklift went through it or a truck rolled over it), they won't pay.

Major companies that ship all the time provide their own extra
insurance coverage for this problem.

Best bet is to ship with properly packed and supported parts
so that anything short of (and possibly including) a nuclear bomb
won't damage the laser.

In fact, I deal with a company that ships metrology lasers all over the World
and they never insure with the shipping company for more than the minimum.
I do not believe they even self insure. But, everything is very well
packed and no credible amount of abuse is likely to cause damage. These
are small lasers so it's not that difficult.

(From: Steve Roberts.)

I carefully build crates around my lasers, and insulate
the lasers from shock with spray in foam that self hardens. Its a wonder
how two of my crates have been reduced to kindling lately. One arrived sans
crate! A third CO2 tube marked for special fragile handling by UPS (often
pronounced OOOPS) didn't make it, it's been reduced to scrap glass. Same for
an incredibly well packed 50 mW HeNe laser last year. I specified and paid
for FedEx, but the seller used OOOOPPS to pocket the difference and ended up
paying for my dead laser as a reward.

As for the broken CO2 tube, I'm driving 250 miles each way to replace it for
the customer to keep my sanity, and my truck has a good suspension. According
to a local driver, all OOOOOPPPSS packages drop 6 feet into a rotary sorting
bin. I've had a few customers spec OOOOOPPPPSSS lately because FedEx was too
expensive. Never again!

I've had good luck with FedEx, only one package ever got smashed. Delta Air
Freight also has done a decent job for me.

For small air-cooled lasers I've used the U.S. Postal Service, sent
'registered', so it's hand carried and locked up each night in a safe. I Had
remarkably good results with the snail mail folks - slow, but it gets there in
one piece. A little pricey, but competitive.

Some suggestions:

Pack the laser in several layers of bubble wrap, tightly taped round the
unit.

This then goes in a cardboard box, with several INCHES of foam pellets
around it.

This then goes into a crate with 3 to 4 inches of spacing between it and
the cardboard box, either filled with solid foam or sprayed in foam. Expect
the crate to disappear by the time the unit arrives at its destination (if it
ever does).

If it's a Spectra-Physics or similar glass tube, pull off the Brewster
stem covers so they don't break the long glass stems by inertia or vibration.

Put a block of soft foam under the tube at the brewsters and under any
long runs of unsupported glass.

Gently tape or somehow hold down (RTV or Liquid Rubber?) long glass return
paths on lasers that have them.

Glass does flex a little and will break, so any appendages on the tube like
gauges, fill stems, and gas reservoirs, must be anchored down in such a way
they can flex to survive vibration but not snap off.

Sometimes it's best to remove the plasma tube and anchor it to a carefully
designed board shipped in a different box insured as a plasma tube so they
can't wiggle out of an insurance claim if it arrives in pieces. Joe Sixpack
at OOOOOOOOOPPPPPPSSSSS figures his 4,000 pound car isn't fragile, so your
600 pound laser must not be either.

If it's a big heavy laser system, put it on a proper skid, so they don't
jury rig it onto a forklift.

Finally, clearly mark it as a HEAVY IRON ANVIL, SO THEY WILL HANDLE IT
LIKE IT'S MADE FROM BIRDS EGGS. ;-0

(From: Bob.)

I recently had a problem with UPS breaking something on me, and although
they paid the insurance claim, I looked to ways to better package fragile
items. I have come up with the following: Wrap the breakable in a few
layers of small bubble bubble wrap. This provides a layer of cushioning
for the object. Then use self expanding polyurathane foam just like the
stuff used in foam-in-place machines, but this stuff is the 2 pounds/cubic
foot foam used in building boats. Two gallons of the stuff runs about $40
and is enough to fill a 55 gallon drum about 2/3rds full. The cool thing
about this stuff is that if you use it to ship your items, they truly become
indestructable. Use cheap industrial type trash bags to keep the foam from
getting on the cardboard box and what you are shipping. Make a 'seat' of
foam to lay the breakable in, then fill in the box with another trash bag
and then foam fill, so that the box is totally full of foam. Make sure you
use at least 4 to 6 inches of foam on all sides. So long as you start out
with a cardboard box of decent integrity, you now have an in-destructable
shipping box. I recently shipped a large X-ray tube in a double corrugated
cardboard box that was 18 x 18 x 18 inches. At first the UPS manager didn't
want to accept the shipment saying it wasn't properly packed for a fragile
item. I then knocked the box off of the counter it sat on, stood on it, and
hopped up and down a few times. Needless to say a proper application of
marine foam is super strong!!! It still has some give to it, so if a box was
dropped on a corner it would dent a small bit (you want some degree of
deformation, otherwise you don't have any shock absorption effect going on!),
but it makes your box virtually drop and or crush proof. I use the stuff
to ship ANYTHING thats fragile now.

(From: Laserlover (rpoulin@rohcg.on.ca).)

I use MSAS Cargo International and add "All Perils" Insurance coverage
to cover my butt and packing has to be up to their standards. All the other
carriers like Fed-Ex, DHL, Purolator and the infamous UPS (OOOPSsss) will
only pay for loss (mechanical damage) - and forget about anything made of
glass or ceramic. MSAS Cargo International won't try to screw you as long
as you can prove value of goods with quote from the original company or
second source in the industry. Also take pictures before and after packing
to prove integrity of goods being shipped.

The following definitely belongs in the humor department though it would be
effective.

(From: Rob (rob@lasers.org).)

Ship all lasers in coffins or caskets!

Most shipping people honor the dead as they can relate to dead relatives.

No fork lift driver is going to stab a casket, Think of what smell or
guts might come out the hole.

They are usually rounded on top, and the sides are not flat (delicate
handles) so no stacking.

They aren't going to stand it on end, just in case a body falls out, they
don't want any part of touching a dead person.

They will be eager to get your package there on time. They don't
want that thing sitting in a corner, or in their warehouse.

If they lose it, the may fear criminal prosecution, or surely a
investigation.

I can see it now. When picking up the package from the airport, opening it
up for inspection just to see the looks in their face as you open it on
their dock. Shippers may feel sorry for you, and airlines may give you a
free ticket to fly along with it, or at least priority seating.

Didn't they do this during Prohibition? Well, at least in the Jack
Lemon movie "Some Like It Hot". :) --- Sam.

The SP-127 is a large-frame HeNe laser, roughly 42 inches in length and
22 pounds. Since it's got a large glass tube inside, packing to minimize
physical shock is essential.

(The following approach was inspired by a laser packed and shipped to me by
George Sohnle. I have added to it slightly.)

Use a heavy cardboard shipping box with minimum dimensions of 14x15x50 inches.
This is still within the maximum dimensions (girth plus length, or
108 inches in this case) of most carriers, for Ground shipping at least.

Check that the 4 screws (on the bottom of the laser) holding the SP-127
tube/resonator assembly in place are tight. It would be a real bummer
to find out that while the packing did its job, the guts came loose and
were happily bouncing themselves to death inside.

Remove the key(s) and line cord. Wrap the laser in a large plastic
bag to keep packing debris out.

Wrap this in 3 or 4 layers of small bubble bubble-wrap all around
and at both ends.

Construct an inner "box" from polyurethane or styrofoam 1" thick building
insulation that snugly encloses the wrapped laser. Use packing tape
to secure it all around and at the ends. This material is available at
any building supply store or home center and can be cut with a knife.

Line the shipping box on all six sides with a layer of similar 1" thick
building insulation.

Wrap the inner box with enough layers of bubble wrap so that it is a
snug fit in the lined shipping box. An alternative is to use packing
peanuts but there should then be some type of resilient spacers to assure
that the inner box remains centered within the shipping box and can't settle
during shipping.

Add several inches of medium density plastic foam at each end.
(What I mean here is something stiffer than foam rubber but more resilient
than the building insulation foam.)

Put the key(s) and line cord in a plastic bag and tape in an obvious
place so they won't be lost if the box gets torn.

Secure the box with multiple layers of strong packing tape.

Label it Fragile, Do Not Drop, Delicate Glass Crystal, Do Not Stand
on End, and Slimy Biological Specimens May Leak and Stink if Damaged.
Only the last one is likely to have any effect on how it is handled by the
shipping company, but the others may help if an insurance claim needs
to be filed. It probably shouldn't be labeled "laser". :)

For the laser I received, the box and most of the packing is in a condition
that can be reused. So, if and when I ship this laser, I'll probably factor
a deposit (like $50) into the shipping cost, so the buyer can send it back
to me.

The following also was what used to be an SP-127 laser but arrived with a
broken tube, though I am a bit skeptical. The name of the shipping company
has been suppressed.

(From: Someone who has had bad luck with laser shipping.)

The box was at least 6" larger or more on each side of the laser head. I
still have the box. The box is perfect and still is.

I can only figure it took a nasty drop by the shipping company. I was at my
local hub and I got to witness something that made me about pass out.

I saw 3 huge boxes come out of the truck and go onto a roll table.
Then came a little box. Then about 2 minutes later, 4 large boxes.
When the 4 large boxes pushed the little one into the 3 large boxes
and stop, the little box in the middle just made a sound like a glass
bottle got crushed.

You could see that it was crushed to 1/3rd its size. I'm like that's
gone. They still put it in the truck to get shipped out.

So after seeing that I can only imagine what my poor laser went though.

That's why I phone to pick items up. As I told you I know our local hub
manager and when I know a package is coming in. I phone him, he will
set it aside so I can pick it up. Only if I am unable to pick it up will
I allow it to be delivered. Then it bounces on the truck until 4 to
4:30 PM when they are in my area.

(From: Sam.)

I wonder about that. The SP-127 box wasn't damaged at all? The tube is
rather well mounted assuming it's original SP construction with all screws
installed and tightened. It should be fastened at both ends, two straps
for the large cathode bulb, and the two bore straightening assemblies.
So, if the box is filled with packing peanuts or foam and the laws of
physics still apply inside the box, it would take a really phenomenal
shock to break the tube.

Shipping lasers within the USA is usually no problem - except getting them
to their destination in one piece. However, sending laser equipment overseas
can be a hassle, especially for higher power lasers or those that were part
of weapons systems like the M60 or Chieftain tank rangefinders that are
currently quite popular on the surplus market. I don't know that there
actually would be a problem with these specific devices but also wouldn't want
to find out the hard way, with a knock on the door by someone from one of
those three letter Government agencies! If you're thinking of selling these
or other such lasers on eBay or elsewhere, I would probably recommend against
agreeing to ship internationally. There are plenty of buyers in the USA for
your junk, oops, high quality lasers. :)

At the very least, you will need to provide an invoice to the shipper (e.g.,
USPS, UPS) listing the item(s) to be shipped and the declared value. I do
avoid using the word "laser" so as not to risk an overzealous or just greedy
inspector from attempting to dig out an overdriven laser pointer. So far,
I've shipped a variety of (non-weapon) lasers overseas without incident.
For small HeNe lasers, I just put "barcode scanner tube" (for the SP-084)
and "particle scanner tube" (for the one-Brewster Climet 9048) with a
declared value of $0.00 on the invoice and on the Postal form (for total
weight under 4 pounds), marked them as a "gift". These weigh next to
nothing so they don't attract the attention of overworked customs
inspectors and there's nothing illegal about shipping these lasers
to most foreign countries anyhow. Putting some small value other than
$0 may attract even less attention though.

For larger HeNe lasers or DPSS lasers where insurance is desired, the
value for Customs can't be less than the insured value. So the buyer
may need to pay duty or VAT or whatever, but that's still worthwhile
given the overall discount compared to new! However, as noted elsewhere,
getting major insurance claims honored for damage may be impossible,
so packing must be even better for international shipments. And should
the package be lost, you'll need proof of value to have any chance of
getting it paid. I've yet to have anything actually lost,
though USPS did "misplace" a large HeNe laser for a month or two.
It somehow ended up in U.S. Customs, when it should have been
going out of the USA. Then, just as I was about to file a claim,
it mysteriously got moving in the proper direction!

Some additional comments follow.

(From: Mike Harrison (mike@whitewing.co.uk).)

For the UK in particular, anything which has a
declared value below UKP18 (about US$25) as
merchandise, or UKP36 ($50) as a gift will not be charged import duty,
so putting these values will not cause a problem, and might look more
credible. Above this there is duty (typically 17.5% VAT) on the goods
value PLUS the postage charge, then another UKP3.75 'handling charge',
and the package can be delayed by 1 to 2 weeks."

(Portions from Steve Roberts.)

On a simple unstabilized cheap HeNe laser there are no export controls as far
as I know. I have never heard of any regulations on anything that did not have
strategic importance, especially if you're only shipping one. Were it a dozen
then I would be concerned. Several U.S. HeNe laser manufacturers have sold
entire state of the art HeNe production lines to China. Don't loose any sleep
over it.

Besides, it's importing things where customs is concerned with lasers. And
unless it deals with drugs, murder, or white collar crime, the U.S. is never
going to extradite you. :-)

However, for high power diodes lasers or parts of lasers, green YAGs, lasers
over a few watts, lasers that can be used as weapons, lasers that stabilize
themselves, lasers that can blind pilots, LIDAR, something like research
picosecond or Terawatt lasers, and lasers that can be used for semiconductor or
uranium processing, one has to be careful. These need approval from the State
Department. In addition, shipping to laser or other high tech equipment or
parts to certain specific countries will raise red flags with the Government
so you will have to do your homework to avoid a serious hassle or worse.

There is a PDF file which you can find that will list proscribed
technology. There are links on the web site to regional and national
phone numbers where reps will talk with you. You want category 6 - Sensors
and Lasers.

I went through all of this to get my crypto software licensed for export
and got an exemption on it. So it is relatively easy to navigate once you
get to the page and find the PDF files with the info.

To export out of the USA, you would just need either an export license or an
exemption. Then in the packaging you would need to put the export license
number on the packing list, if I'm not mistaken.

New, Surplus, Walk-In, Mail Order/Web, Kits/Plans (Commercial)

The following sections provide links and/or contact info for many companies
offering lasers, optics, and laser related equipment and parts as well as some
general electronics distributors and surplus outfits, scrap and salvage places,
and tips on where to pick up big lasers cheap.

The listings below are mostly in alphabetical order, domestic (US) followed
by foreign. Their position or even their existence on these lists does not
imply anything about my impression of their quality, reliability, or integrity.
However, there may be additional specific comments included in the description.

Radio Shack offers a variety of
laser pointers which may be suitable for various types of simple laser
experiments. While they have a variety of electronic components as well,
don't expect to find those that you would need for serious laser power
supply construction. I now understand they do have some sort of "650 nm
laser modules" for about $10.

Edmund Optics/Edmund Scientifics
(formerly just Edmund Scientific) used to have a retail store
located in Barrington, New Jersey. As far as I can tell, this is no
longer in existence (or at least no longer open to the public). Too bad,
it was a must-see for anyone in the area (and worth a cross country detour
if not). The company is now split into two divisions:
Edmund Optics (Industrial Optics
including lasers) and
Scientifics
(All sorts of neat consumer scientific items for astronomy to weather and
everything in between including laser pointers).

They still offer nice thick free catalogs which are a must-have. All ordering
is via the Web, telephone, or snail mail.

It is well worth asking for catalogs or browsing the on-line catalogs, and
getting on the mailing lists of all of these companies as they offer a wide
variety of neat, nifty, and often useful electronic, mechanical, and optical
items often at excellent prices.

Offerings include new, used, or surplus lasers and laser components. Quality
and prices may vary quite widely - check them out before ordering!

Anchor Optics,
1-856-573-6865, http://www.anchoroptics.com/. All sorts of lenses,
prisms, mirrors, windows, filters, and some optical equipment like
breadboards, posts, and mounts. This company is actually a division
of Edmund Optics.

BMI Surplus, 1-800-287-8868,
http://www.bmius.com/. All sorts of surplus including some laser
systems and laser and optics components.

Edmund Scientific, 1-609-573-6250,
http://www.edsci.com/. High quality and high priced but their catalogs are
a must. Also see the information in the section:
Walk-In/Mail Order.

Electronics Information Online,
1-800-543-0540, http://www.eio.com/. Surplus electronics, computer items,
lasers and laser components, and much more. Includes general, weekly, and
monthly specials, hot deals, searchable inventory list, and classifieds. Of
particular interest are a number of non-commercial technical forums and
email discussion groups on a variety of topics including lasers, laser light
shows, and holography.

This site is one of the best kept secrets of the Web. It is definitely worth
checking out since there is so much there!

Electronic Surplus
Online, 1-505-296-6389, http://www.surplus-electronics.com/. Aside from
the usual test equipment and ham radio gear, they offer optical surplus,
tubes, high vacuum stuff, HeNe, HeCd, CO2, Nd:YAG, and diode lasers.
However, it appears that unless you are in the neighborhood (Albuquerque,
NM), you'll have to email a request for info - there is no on-line catalog
at present (except for a few specials). They also auction some of their
items on eBay (linked from their Web site).

Europe
Laser Exchange has everything from the very small to the very large
(though mostly very large!). The prices for small lasers appear decent but
I don't know what shipping to the USA would add to these.

HSC Electronic Supply (formerly
Halted Specialties Co.), 1-800-4-HALTED, http://www.halted.com/. Includes a
few complete laser systems, many HeNe tubes and power supplies (AC, DC, and
kits), laser pointers, laser diodes, and diode laser modules. The catalog
at their web site may be much more complete and up-to-date than the print
version but you may have to ask about the HeNe laser components via email
since there is currently no detailed listing of these. Their other offerings
include a variety of electronic components, small kits, scientific
instruments, test equipment, PCs and peripherals, RF and video gear, and
other new and surplus items.

Herbach and Rademan Co.,
1-856-802-0422,
http://www.herbach.com/. Includes some HeNe tubes and power supplies, a few
optical components, motors, and a variety of other interesting and useful
electronic parts. New arrivals and closeouts are listed at the Web site and
a quarterly catalog is available by telephone, fax, or email request.

Meredith Instruments,
1-623-934-9387, http://www.mi-lasers.com/. Extensive on-line catalog with
prices for all items. In addition to the usual diode, HeNe, and argon ion
lasers, power supplies, optics, books, etc., check out their
Miscellaneous Laser
Parts page for a variety of inexpensive components from Alden connectors
and HeNe ballast resistor, to CO2 laser optics and ruby lasers.

Check out their Blue Light
Argon Lasers for low cost Cyonics/Uniphase systems and laser heads.
They may still have a limited quantity of very inexpensive ($50) argon ion
laser heads that could be weak, in need of mirror alignment, or near
end-of-life but are still good for things like ion laser power supply
testing. Some may be repairable. Send email to
info@mi-lasers.com.

Neodymium Glass,
http://www.laser-rods.com/. These are rods, slabs, and other assorted
shapes and sizes of (supposedly) laser quality Nd:Glass optical components
originally manufactured for
Lawrence Livermore National
Labs. Some of these are HUGE - with dimensions measured in FEET! This
is where to go if you must have the BIGGEST pulsed laser on your block.
You'll need a fairly hefty wallet as well (by hobbyist standards, at
least). :)

Resources Un-Ltd., 1-603-668-2499,
http://www.resunltd4u.com/. Their Web site lists specials, optics,
components, test equipment, batteries, etc. Some lasers including diode
laser modules and other laser related equipment including argon ion and
CO2 lasers or laser heads and power supplies. (They are also supposed to
have a full page ad in Nuts and Volts magazine every month.)

Surplus Shed, 1-877-7SURPLUS,
http://www.surplusshed.com/. (Formerly, Surplus Shack.) Surplus lenses,
prisms, mirrors, instruments,
cameras, binoculars, telescopes, microscopes, filters, antique optical
equipment, radio and electronics, etc. (but apparently no lasers). They
currently also carry the CDROM with the complete collection of Amateur
Scientist articles from Scientific American (which includes, of course,
all those dealing with lasers and optics in "Light and its Uses"). Their
price is $79.00 compared to the list price of $89.95.

Bull Electrical (UK),
Phone: 44 (0)1273 203500, http://www.bullnet.co.uk/. This is an
interesting site, though their Web site seems to be a bit screwed up.
They used to list HeNe lasers up to 30 mW including
a 3 mW yellow one; Chieftain Tank pulsed diode lasers for your next wargame
simulation; plans for CO2 and CuCl lasers, a laser light show, laser bounce
listener; and other laser related items. There was much more interesting and
strange stuff at this site. However, at the present time, some of it
is inaccessible.

One person who bought a red laser rated at 5 mW said that what they
received was an apparently new in box, bare HeNe laser tube made by "The
Shanghai Institute of Laser Technology" (S.I.L), whoever they are. Though
marked 8.5 mW, it probably didn't output more than 5 mW. He recommends
against buying Bull's supposedly compatible power supply as it may fry if
used with tubes larger than about 2 mW (as he found out after 10 minutes).
(However, I didn't see any HeNe laser power supplies on their lasers page.)

HB-Laserkomponenten GmbH,
http://www.hb-laser.com/. This German company appears to have some really
good prices on second-hand lasers and laser components (in addition to new
equipment). I don't know how this all works out once shipping and taxes are
included but it is worth checking out their on-line catalog. Note that
since most of this laser equipment originated in the US, there may not be
any import duties for shipments back here. Items include helium-neon, argon
and krypton ion, and CO2 laser tubes, heads, power supplies, and accessories.
Also some Nd:YAQ and other solid state lasers; laser show, welding, and
medical laser systems; optics, scanners, and more. Get your ion laser
tubes refilled as well! For used/surplus equipment, go direct to:
Second Hand Laser.

These companies offer a wide and constantly changing variety of new and
surplus electronic components, modules, subassemblies, and other weird,
interesting, and sometimes useful stuff generally including some lasers, laser
parts, kits, and other laser related items:

Alltronics, 1-408-778-3868.
Mainly electronics but includes a an assortment of laser diodes and diode
laser modules and some optics/telecom items.

American Science and Surplus,
1-847-982-0870, http://www.sciplus.com/. Their catalog (which is
on-line) is a must-see for the humor alone but the print version (which is
free and they will mail to you) is much more convenient for bedtime reading!
Their Web site currently (Summer 2004) lists a nice polarized 5 mW (actual
output power) HeNe laser head for under $25. Someone who bought one says
it's a Melles Griot 05-LHP-153.

They also have a separate optics catalog (Stock number 24799) which you can
also request via email (but they may want to charge you a whole $1 for it if
you don't order something at the same time. Hint: Commenting that "Sean is
a cool guy" will almost assure a free catalog!). This looks like a very
nice source listing hundreds of inexpensive (mostly glass) lenses, mirrors,
and other optical items.

CTR Surplus, 1-419-683-3535 (maybe, no longer seems to have their
Web site. Everything on eBay under CTR-Surplus). All sorts of surplus
equipment from computers to modular buildings/trailers. :) A bit of
laser stuff from time-to-time.

Jameco, 1-800-831-4242,
http://www.jameco.com/, electronic components and computer products. A
recent catalog lists a (1, one, singular) 670 nm laser diode and low cost
compact laser diode driver (don't know if it uses optical feedback or just a
current regulator), as well as two diode laser modules, some optics, and of
course, a whole bunch of laser pointers.

Marlin P. Jones & Associates, Inc.,
1-800-652-6733, http://www.mpja.com/. Surplus and new parts,
electronic kits. The on-line catalog at their Web site currently (Spring,
2000) lists a HeNe laser power supply brick of unknown manufacturer (similar
to the one from Herbach and Rademan described in the section:
1 mW HeNe Laser Powered by 12 VDC, 1 A Wall
Adapter, a flyback based HV power supply kit suitable for small HeNe
laser tubes, other power supplies, at least one laser pointer, and a mini
'laser show'. They used to have several types of HeNe laser tubes but these
seem to have disappeared.

OATLEY Electronics
(Australia), http://www.oatleyelectronics.com/. In addition to general
electronics parts and kits, their
Laser Products
include some HeNe lasers and power supplies, laser diodes and drivers, diode
laser module kits, small light shows, etc.

DigiKey, 1-800-DIGIKEY,
http://www.digikey.com/. Digikey now has a fairly decent selection of visible
laser diodes and diode laser modules including those from Coherent, Lumex,
NVG, Panasonic, and others.

This company is of the 'I thought I died and went to heaven' variety (whether
you believe in that stuff or not) if you are need specialized high voltage
rectifiers for your HeNe, CO2, or other laser or general high voltage power
supply projects. They have an on-line catalog with complete specifications
and offer to send a print catalog as well as free samples. I don't know to
what extent this includes free samples to hobbyist types who may not be
ordering $1,000,000 worth of merchandise. They say: "qualified OEMs only"
which suggests not but it may still be worth a try if you only need a little
diode or two, or will then need to buy 100 more. You can never tell when a
company will consider the possibility of a referral or future loyal customer
to be worth a modest initial investment! However, please don't abuse the
privilege if they are accommodating.

This Web-only store appears to have the
perfect selection of high voltage components for HeNe laser power supplies
and other HV projects including capacitors, diodes, and even wire, and at
very reasonable prices. I wish they had been around when I was building
his sort high voltage electronics in the past and had to recycle parts
from other equipment! :)

The following companies carry a wide selection of semiconductors (including
many Japanese types) and in addition have replacement parts for microwave
ovens (and other consumer electronic equipment) which may be useful for some
laser power supply designs:

Angela Instruments, where I found a
1,300 VRMS "Mystery Power Transformer" for $10.00 - he sometimes has good
deals on small Variacs also. The 1300v transformer is waiting on a couple
of HV caps (microwave maybe?) when a good deal comes along. Currently (end
1998), they have a 2180 VRMS CT at 46 mA DC (whatever that means)
transformer for $18. This would be suitable for a power supply to drive
high power HeNe lasers (e.g., HeNe tubes of 25 to 35 mW or more).

BG Micro, where I got my 556 chips.
They also have some deals on Power FETS and lots of other stuff.

I have no direct experience with any of the vendors below, so I cannot really
comment on either the quality of their customer service or on how their claims
compare with reality! However, most of the really nutty places seem to
be concentrated in this section! I have included general comments when
available.

This place is definitely worth an 'at least check out their Web site'. Much
weird stuff including specialized parts (as well as plans and complete kits)
needed for the laser and other projects in the two Iannini books [2] and [3]
(though cheaper alternatives using readily available components may be
available). Laser related products include HeNe, diode, and DPSS
(green) lasers; laser pointers, mini-light shows, laser listeners and
communicators; CO2 and YAG lasers; and some parts like power supplies,
rods, and flashlamps. Many are available as plans, kits, or completely
assembled and tested systems.

Most of the products they offer in areas like lasers and high voltage seem
reasonable (though claims may sometimes be shall we say, a bit optimistic),
if you are interested in something in one of their more way-out departments
like anti-gravity, realize that the laws of physics haven't been repealed on
their site and you shouldn't be disappointed when the item that arrives isn't
a fully operational "Back to the Future" hoverboard. :)

Carl's Electronics,
1-978-422-5142, http://www.electronickits.com/. Electronics kits and plans.
They have plans for a 40 W CO2 laser, ruby laser pistol, and diode laser
pistol. I have no idea of the integrity of this outfit or the quality of
what they offer. They kind of appear to be in the same league as
Information Unlimited, above.

Electronic Rainbow, Inc.,
1-317-291-7262, http://www.rainbowkits.com/. Electronics, computer,
phone, and other kits, and a few laser pointers.

Future Horizons,
1-906-249-5197, http://www.futurehorizons.net/. This is another place
with lots of weird (and some technically impossible) stuff and I'd think
several times before considering buying any of it. The tip-off should be
the 900 phone number. Includes plans and assembled ruby laser pistol.

Note: Plans and Kits has gone through some twists and turns over the laser
year or so including legal proceedings likely due to questionable dealings
or something worse. I do not have any details. Much of what they sell is
of limited value at best and should probably be avoided like a laser beam to
the eye. This place has gotten multiple thumbs-down in its former life as
Unlimited Underground Electronics (UUE) for exaggerated, way out, conflicting,
unrealistic claims (I'm being generous), and shoddy merchandise - everything
else is unknown. However, in all fairness, there have been satisfied and
repeat customers as well, perhaps those who are knowledgeable about what
they are buying and can inspect (and possibly select) the merchandise in
person. This site is amusing to visit but anyone who knows more about
technology than a ripe carrot will realize that much of the blurb on their
site has to be bogus.

There is also a chatroom and bulletin board/discussion group on the site
which might provide some additional amusement (for a few milliseconds,
anyhow) especially as some technically knowledgeable people attempt to
clarify, correct, or dispute some of the claims. If you think about buying
anything from them, realize that what arrives may bear little resemblance in
appearance, function, or performance to what is described on their Web site.
Terms like "Ready to go" and "Perfectly matched" may have different meanings
that what you might assume. :)

This may also mean high prices for many items (at least compared to what
you might have expected) so you should be sitting down when you are browsing
the catalogs or Web sites of these suppliers. However, there are exceptions.

Bid-Service LLC, 1-732-863-9500,
http://www.bidservice.com. This place caters to the semiconductor processing
industry but has listings for laser systems broken out separately. However,
you won't find $10 HeNe tubes. :)

DNA Equipment, 1-330-769-5444,
http://www.dnaequipment.com/. Products include complete laser systems like
Laserscopes, as well and optical and electronic test equipment and more.
Not for 1 mW HeNe laser!

Lasers and optics as well as many bargain priced new and surplus scientific
items. The new research quality items are expensive but there are many
reasonably prices parts, kits, and just plain old fascinating stuff.

Their catalog is a must even if you never intend to purchase anything. I
remember fascinating trips to their retail store stocked with bin-upon-bin
of interesting and unusual (and sometimes unidentifiable!) optical and
electronic items. I do not know what it is like these days.

LMDC, 1-510-429-1060,
http://www.lasermotion.com/. Lasers, motion control, and optics. The
on-line catalog includes several HeNe, ion, CO2, dye, YAG, and other (mostly
high quality) lasers, and many other interesting components and equipment
including servo controlled linear and X-Y platforms and rotary stages,
optical tables, microscopes, video and specialty cameras and lenses. They
also provide integration and consulting services.

Sterling Resale Optics,
no phone number, http://www.sro-optics.com/. New and used optics including
lenses, mirrors, filters, windows, wedges, beamsplitters, a xenon flashlamp,
and more. They also have KTP crystals for use in frequency doubling of DPSS
lasers as well as Nd:YAG rods and more. On-line catalog with prices. Much
of their inventory came from Lawrence Livermore National Labs so should be of
very high quality.

Used Line, no phone number,
http://used-line.com/. Over 10,000 advertisements for used scientific
equipment including some laser and optics items. However, prices tend to be
high or not listed so this probably isn't your first stop!

Yes, among other places, junk and salvage yards. Many types of equipment
contain lasers and these eventually end up at these sorts of business on their
way to the land-fill. Unfortunately, in many cases, the lasers will have been
removed or rendered useless (translation: smashed) to satisfy various
regulatory requirements but often high performance graphic arts equipment like,
printers, scanners, duplicators, phototypsetters; fiber optic communications
gear; and other high tech systems will contain HeNe, argon ion, or more
recently, diode lasers. There will usually be some sort of laser safety
sticker on the chassis. From its type and power level description, you can
probably get an idea of what is inside. It's up to you to figure a way to
haggle the price down on the laser portion of the junk without looking too
interested. :) Don't forget that you want the power supplies and possibly
the optics in addition to the laser itself.

Other possibilities: Companies clearing their 'dead storage' or excess
inventory, or going out of business, and auctions and liquidation sales.

You can often find small lasers and laser parts at high tech flea markets and
hamfests. Sometimes intact research lasers will show up there but often they
are so old that the tube is gassy and usless (unless you are into regassing).

If you are have the guts and are willing to make some phone calls and don't
mind being told "no" some portion of the time, consider the following:

CAUTION: What you may end up with is/are one or more BIG lasers in unknown
condition. These are extremely dangerous on all fronts - especially
electrically and should they work, from the high power beam! You MUST do this
in a responsible manner both for your own and others' safety as well as to not
abuse the fabulous opportunity that a successful outcome can provide.

Old lasers may be available from biomedical sources like hospitals and
clinics. These places buy the latest, work them to death or until something
better comes along, then puts them in storage and eventually sells or gives
them away for scrap. If you do find an offer of one or more of these, you
will need transportation (e.g., a truck or large minivan - they won't fit in
the back of a Honda Civic!) and some buddies to do the heavy lifting.

WARNING: Where the laser came from a hospital or clinic, you must assume that
the business end at least (the articulated beam guide) has probably been in
all sorts of places you wouldn't want to go and may have collected all sorts
of stuff you wouldn't normally eat or use for bathing! Yes, they were supposed
to have been sterilized but given that the laser may have been put into storage
because it failed, such procedures may not have been performed. You MUST
clean the entire thing except for the actual interior of the laser head with
a strong disinfectant as noted below. (Perhaps you can pick up a couple
gallons of hospital-grade disinfectant at the same time - one swipe of
alcohol may not be enough!) Take
care - there is going to be sharp sheet metal and other hazards - open wounds
and biomedical waste are not a happy combination!

The most likely type of lasers available from biomedical sources will be old
but could very likely be serviceable or repairable. Most common types are CO2,
but you may end up with a high power YAG or Ar/Kr ion type. For the latter,
it is quite likely you won't have the power feed required to use them without
serious effort and expense as high current 230 VAC three-phase is often what
is used. The 'smaller' CO2 units will run on standard 115 VAC, 15 or 20 A.

Thus, think several times before actually taking these recommendations
seriously - you could end up with a major headache or a major bonanza depending
on your negotiating skills, technological abilities, and LUCK!

The following approach has worked for me quite a few times. Mostly you get
dead units but to quote Clara Peller: "Partz is partz".

Call your local hospitals. Tell them you're looking for old lasers for parts
and make sure they understand you're going to demedicalize them, Ask for
Biomedical or Clinical Engineering - get past the secretary and and talk to
a tech or engineer. Avoid talking to accounting or materials management if
you can, they want money. Make sure you tell them your end use is a home
made engraver. If they are reluctant to let you have it, offer to smash
the delivery arm in front of them with a sledge. These people are used to
getting such calls, mostly from companies that recycle medical gear.

Don't be shocked if you hear: "Be here in 15 minutes with a truck and
some people to help you load it". Ask for units by Coherent or Sharplan.
You WILL need the pickup truck or a decent sized minivan. Take a complete
set of allen wrenches including the larger sized ones and tools/socket set
to partially dismantle it. Expect to be told the unit will be free or low
cost - you're helping them dispose of a 200 to 500 pound monster. Use gloves
when you take it apart as most CO2s are used for gynecology. When you get it
home, scrub it down with alcohol except for the tube assembly. Take plastic
sheets, tarps, rope and trash bags.

If they don't have one, still ask for their address to send them a letter
or business card so they can reach you in the future. If they ask you to
take a skid or two of other scrap do so. Also ask if they know of other
biomed guys with units laying around.

(From: Bob.)

Hospitals would be the first and best place to look. Although nice letters
may be the formal polite way of locating equipment, all the people I know
who have had any luck getting any lasers from any hospital did so by
wearing out their telephone. It seems as though the fellow responsible
for getting rid of the hospital's equipment is always a busy harried
individual who is willing to let an average Joe get a laser because he offers
to make it as painless for the hospital person as possible. In other words,
he doesn't have to make any telephone calls, you just show up with a truck and
the manpower to load something he considers garbage. Also keep in mind that
you may talk to 10 people at the same institution before you actually talk to
the fellow responsible for their surplus equipment. It's much easier to get
passed down the chain if someone you call can simply tell you over the
phone "you need to talk to Harry at ext. 234" than if you send a letter that
places the responsibility onto someone else to actually see to it that your
letter gets to the right hands, possibly several someone elses. Other sources
of lasers might include local businesses (i.e., read the Sunday want-ads for
advertisements of auctions, especially if you have any aerospace or other high
tech industry in town. You may also want to try large print shops,
occasionally universities will excess equipment, and naturally there is
always the Net - eBay and other places are gold mines for used equipment
but you need to spend the hours in front of the computer screen to find
them and you better know the value of what you bid on so you don't get
the short end of a bad deal.

(From: Robin S. (lasernerd@hotmail.com).)

I work in the machine shop at a cancer research hospital. There's a huge
4.5 W argon/2.5 W dye laser in the back they didn't even know WAS a laser. You
may want to find the machine shop/work shop if you go hunting. Personally,
I'd go in person. Some people may be inclined to help you, and some may be
too lazy (the phone makes it very easy to be lazy). Be VERY nice, and food
ALWAYS helps! Bring a 6 pack of doughnuts or something. You may not get
anything, but they'll be willing to talk to you.

A variety of high speed graphics arts equipment (not your typical office
copier or laser printer) include an argon ion laser. These consist of a
laser head and power supply. While most of the time, the laser heads are
refurbished when they no longer perform adequately, some may be available
free of charge if you know where to ask.

However, you will probably not get the power supply since the they are usually
not replaced when the laser heads die. Therefore, before pursuing this,
realize that a power supply will have to be bought ($300 to $1,000 or more)
or built. The latter is a non-trivial undertaking. See the chapters starting
with: Argon and Krypton Ion Lasers.

(From: Flavio Spedalieri (fspedalieri@nightlase.com.au).)

I have managed to get two air-cooled argon lasers free of charge. Argon laser
are used in industrial high-speed printing machines. If you contact your local
companies, you may get lucky.

Some companies that deal with these types of printers are Xerox, Dainippon
Screens, and Ricoh.

My lasers came from Dainippon Screens. The lasers worked well. One of the
lasers is multi-lined. The company was throwing them out, but as I called in
earlier, and left my name, they actually thought to call me back.

If you speak with the technical repairs department, and mention that you are
requiring a laser to teach a bunch of students, then you could be lucky.

Please be aware that in these printers, the lasers are usually tuned to 488 nm
(bright blue). Some laser heads may have a line tuning prism on the back and
these are tunable to any of the 8 or so argon ion wavelengths.

The following alternatives are most often offers from private individuals
(though not always - buyer beware) and are in addition to the zillions of
companies that have Web sites. There are varying amounts of risk in not
dealing with a well known reputable company. Prices can vary from dirt cheap
to way out of line. So you MUST know the value of what is being offered.
Unlike companies which compete with each other, some of these people may start
with a very high price and hope there is a least one sucker out there!

In addition to honesty and ethics concerns, once you settle on a price, make
sure the seller knows how to pack your (often fragile) equipment properly.
It is amazing how much abuse can be inflicted by package shipping companies
like UPS and the U.S. Postal Service. If it costs you a couple of dollars
extra for a larger box and more bubble wrap or styrofoam peanuts - and
shipping insurance - it may be well worth it!

Posts offering laser diodes and drivers, helium-neon laser tubes, power
supplies, and complete lasers, optical and mechanical parts, and other items
that are useful to the laser enthusiast are quite common. Mostly, these are
from private individuals but not always. These will most likely be found on
the following newsgroups:

These are offers of laser equipment from people who have posted to alt.lasers
or sci.optics or have a private Web site and have more than a few items to
sell. I have put these in here as a service to the laser community - they are
not paid ads. Unless otherwise noted, I cannot vouch for their quality or
reliability. Some of the (as far as I know) current ones are listed below.
These are in no particular order (perhaps just based on when I found them,
sort of):

Emission Technologies
offers plans as well as kits with all the glass and metal parts; optics,
gas, vacuum, and water tubing; and adhesives to construct 35 W and 60 W
flowing gas CO2 laser, sealed CO2 laser tubes and switching power supplies,
and even a kit for a complete X,Y CNC laser cutter which can be used for
hobby or industry. The manual for at least the 35 W flowing gas laser is
available (free) at this site has detailed instructions for assembly,
alignment, and operation, as well as basic information on power supplies and
vacuum/gas handling systems and is generally useful even if you aren't
interested in his specific kits.

While eBay and other on-line auction sites
are most likely to have offers of overpriced laser pointers, real lasers and
laser related equipment do show up and can often be acquired at attractive
prices. There is a continuous stream of helium-neon lasers, tubes, and power
supplies; some argon ion, carbon dioxide, ruby, YAG, and occasional other
types of lasers; and even a few really strange (and possibly valuable) lasers,
laser components (e.g., HeNe tubes with Brewster windows, ruby or Nd:YAG rods,
optics), and other laser related items, as well as all sorts of optical
instruments. There are also gizmos containing lasers like the innards of
laserdisc players and barcode scanners. For the home-built laser enthusiast,
Variacs, vacuum pumps, and other support equipment of all types and sizes may
be found as well. The
eBay Smart Search
Page can be used to hunt for all sorts of goodies.

Here are some specific laser related searches to get you started. These
are designed to return serious laser related items without being inundated
with laser pointers, laser printers, laserdiscs, laser engravings, and
countless other common things with the word laser in their description:

This eBay Auction Search: Laser Equipment by Type will return a summary of
most of the ongoing auctions for actual laser equipment and parts which
include a specific laser type (e.g., HeNe or argon ion) in the listing.
This is the one I find most useful.

This eBay Auction Search: Interesting, Strange, Old, Vintage Lasers may
occasionally catch something on the fringes with collectible value though
mostly it returns items not related to anything we care about! Also included
here are laser power meters (because they woudn't fit in the text limit of
any of the others!).

Note: Since the eBay search engine appears to sometimes distinguish between
singular and plural, if you don't include both (as I've done above with laser
and lasers), you might miss that opportunity of a lifetime to buy 1,326 argon
lasers. :) Also, for some of these, it may be useful to cut and paste the
search string directly into the
eBay Smart Search
Page to modify or add options or exclusions which can cut down on the
amount of unwanted garbage returned by these searches.

And, for the home-built laser enthusiast:

This eBay Auction Search: Transformer and Vacuum Equipment will locate many
listings for equipment useful for home-built laser construction and general
mad scientist activities (though no where near all of them). (You'll have to
modify this search for the plural yourself if you are interested in multiple
pumps or whatever!)

You can of course customize your own search strings. For example, if you
are interested in pulsed lasers, you may want to enter: "flashlamp,flash
lamp,flashlamps,flash lamps,arclamp,arclamps,arc lamp,arc lamps" in the eBay
search box which will gather just about anything in the lamp department. :)
One can spend a semi-infinite amount of time searching the eBay site.

[Begin Rant 1]

For a long time and up through September, 2009, the eBay search facility
placed an annoying gyrating banner
Ad at the top of the results page. For several years, simply disabling
Javascript in your Web browser got rid of the annoying Ads and even speeded
up loading, but this did screw up some listings where Javascript is
used by the seller, as well as the Feedback system for most auctions.
Now (as of Summer 2009), Javascript seems to be an integral part of
the default listing format and is required to be enabled for access to
multiple photos, and shipment and payment information. So, while it is
still possible search and view the basic listing with Javascript disabled,
getting any details requires it be turned on and the listing to be reloaded.
Oh well, it was good while it lasted. :( :) Do they truly believe there
is some benefit to presenting the same Banner Ad for multiple searches?
And, for a week or so, with Firefox at least (V3.5.3), if even a single eBay
search was performed with Javascript enabled, then subsequent searches
would hang if Javascript was turned off during that Firefox session.
(Exiting and restarting Firefox would reset it.) Javascript could be
used for anything else within eBay or elsewhere as long as it wasn't
enabled during an eBay search. Go figure. :) I don't know if this was
an greedy attempt to frustrate people who used the "disable Javascript trick"
of if it was simply a transient bug that got fixed. In any event, the quirk
magically disappeared without any changes at my end.

NEWS FLASH!! As of October, 2009, the banner Ad at the top of the results
page is gone, replaced by something similar along the left-hand side. For
some reason, that seems less objectionable, perhaps because
it doesn't jump out and hit you over the head as soon as the results page
appears. So, I'm less inclined to disable Javascript during eBay searches.
Also, with Javascript enabled, the time will count down by the second during
the last hour, and the high bid amount and high bidder will be updated every
few seconds within the last few minutes of the auction, getting
closer together near the end. Finally, some useful eBay features with
Javascript! :)

[Rant 1 cancelled]

And on searches in general:

[Begin Rant 2]

Since when does technology get worse? Searches used to allow the "*"
wildcard as an option, but now throw it in all the time
even when not wanted. In the past, if a search term was "ABCD", it
only found matches where an entire word was ABCD. Now, any character string
that includes ABCD in it will be a match. So searches return gobs of totally
unrelated useless listings, often more than 10 times that of the good stuff.
I'd like to believe this is just computer programmers with too much time on
their hands who have to justify their existence by constantly changing
everything. But I suspect it to be something more insidious like eBay
attempting to boost sales by forcing users to wade through view lots of
auction listings they would normally not see, even if the correlation
between what they want and what they get is 0.000000. :)

[End Rant 2]

Now, back to buying and selling. :)

Make sure you know the true market value of the merchandise and limit
your maximum bid to what you consider it to be worth TO YOU! Avoid getting
carried away in the excitement of last minute bidding - there will be other
opportunities. Also, where the seller is actually a surplus dealer or other
commercial enterprise, check out their Web site or catalog - the same item(s)
may be listed there for a fixed price which may be much lower than where the
bidding ends up. I've seen eBay auctions where the identical item went for
more than twice the catalog price! In addition, depending on the day of
the month, phase of the moon, or a particular tea leaf reading, there may be
a variation in final bid price for similar items by a factor of 5
times or more - and the lower priced one(s) might even be in better condition
or newer! As an example, in one case, I picked up something for $16.50 while
the next week, an older and less desirable version of the same model went for
$117.00! So, don't go overboard bidding up an item thinking another one won't
show up. It will - for lasers and scientific stuff at least - maybe not an
original Rembrandt. :)

Some more considerations:

Before bidding on anything, check out the seller's feedback profile - not
just the rating but the comments as well. Pay particular attention to the
negatives and neutrals, as they are more telling than the often fluffy
positives (if any!). You can quickly display only the negative and
neutral feedback comments via
Toolhaus.org.

There is no hard cutoff as to what to consider an acceptable feedback
rating. If I see something of around 99.5 percent positive or above,
I consider the seller reliable. But pay attention to the balance between
feedback as a seller (what is probably important to you) and feedback
as a buyer. In addition, look at the feedback as a function of time.
If recent feedback - say in the last year - is entirely satisfactory,
then transgressions in the past can be given less weight. And, of course,
also make the evaluation based on the item in question. If a hundred other
sellers have something similar, then there's no need to take a risk on
a seller with a poor feedback rating. But the item is one of a kind, then
it may be worth the risk. Just take all precautions possible to protect
yourself should the transaction turn sour.

Unfortunately, the entire feedback system stinks and is much less
useful than no doubt its original intent.
Some certifiably shady sellers have high
feedback ratings even though much of what they sell is misrepresented or just
plain junk. Unfortunately, the feedback game for sellers seems to be to avoid
receiving anything but positive feedback at all costs. It's really irrelevant
what's actually taken place as long as the feedback is positive.
If you as a buyer issue negative feedback, it is nearly 100 percent certain
that you will get negative feedback in return no matter what the facts.
Sellers learned a long time ago not to issue feedback until after they
received it from the buyer. So, try to resolve problems through the
eBay system before going negative! However, you've already gotten some,
it should be possible to respond to it so at least your side of the
story will be there for all to read (subject to the 80 character limit!).

In addition to the Positive/Neutral/Negative rating, the feedback system
also now includes number ratings on five areas: listing accuracy, seller
communications, speed of shipping, and cost of shipping. However, entering
these is optional and the results will supposedly not be directly
associated with your eBay ID. (Of course, if the seller doesn't have
that many auctions, this can't be avoided.)

Carefully examine the listing including all photos.
Look for little things that might not be noticed on a quick glance. Email
the seller to clarify anything that isn't totally obvious. This applies
both to the item itself as well as shipping and handling charges.

Check the seller's return policy. If an item is listed as "as-is", then don't
expect to be able to get any sort of refund, even if it arrives dead as a brick
or in a million pieces. However, it won't hurt to email the seller and ask
about the return policy even in that case. Some honorable sellers will issue
refunds even on as-is items if they are totally dead. Be wary of sellers
claiming that they are unable to test an item that can obviously be tested
easily, like by plugging it into a live wall socket! Sometimes they simply
don't want to know that the stuff doesn't work, or already knows this! Or,
they'll say "tested to power up" which simply means the power-on light came on,
not that the laser lased, probably means it did not.

Use the eBay email facility to contact the seller with *any* serious
questions. If there is something about the item like some aspect of its
condition that is not mentioned or is unclear in the listing, ask about it.
If the seller replies that "it is in mint condition" and as the winner,
they send a box of broken glass, having asked ahead of time will make any
complaints more credible even if the listing says "sold as-is".

If you are a non-smoker and the odor of tobacco smoke residue bothers you,
ask if this might be an issue with the item. Such problems are probably more
likely with consumer electronics than lasers since one isn't *supposed* to be
smoking in an optics/laser lab, but it won't hurt to ask. And, any tell-tail
odor of tobacco smoke may mean that internal optics are contaminated aside
from the thing being down right stiky. :)

Note that once you place a bid, it is normally binding. And, if you win the
auction, you are legally required to pay for the merchandise. The auction
police won't come after you if you don't pay (at least not for small amounts)
but you can be sure that such transgressions will be noted by the seller in
your feedback. Bid retractions are permitted for typos (you entered $1,000
instead of $10.00 by mistake) and may be allowed for extenuating circumstances
(see the specific auction site rules) but don't count on it. If you do bid
in error, try emailing the seller and politely asking to withdraw the bid.
Many/most are very accommodating but some will just tell you that their rules
are final and tell you where you can jump even if it's only a matter of a $10
bid. :(

Now (Spring 2007), supposedly in an effort to reduce fraud, eBay has
instituted a system whereby bidder's identities are kept secret if the
bid price goes above $200 (though it looks like the seller can select
this option lower or to start), or possibly some lower price if the auction
was originally "Buy-It-Now" or had a reserve. So, instead of the actual eBay
ID, they show up as "Bidder 1", "Bidder 2", etc., based on the time of their
initial bid. And some time later, it seems they have gone to a format
like x**y instead of "Bidder n". Not sure if there is any correlation
between x and y and the original bidder ID. And while the two letters
had originally remained fixe, they now seem to change them at random.
Many believe that contrary to the original intent, these schemes
simply promote fake bids coordinated by less than honest sellers. They can
get their buddies to bid against buyers or each other once a real bid comes
in to drive up the price up. And, if they screw up and one of them
ends up high bid, there is always the "second chance offer". In eBay's
defense, measures have been put into place to prevent fraud: Each
bidder retains their "star" feedback rating including a range on actual
feedback percent, among other things. However, it does make bidding a
lot less fun! :) So, if you want to bid on an item that's likely to go
above $200, keep track of the bidders' IDs for as long as possible. Then,
when the threshold is crossed, you may at least know who the early bidders
were by the order in which they placed their bids. Also, the bidder's
Feedback scores are preserved at least more or less (perhaps within +/- 1)
since you are allowed to see what their profile is like, even if not
permitted to know exactly who it applies to! But in short, no one
I've talked to likes this new system and we hope it will go back to the
way it was run in the good old days! But alas, it just seems to be
getting more convoluted.

Here are some other things to watch out for:

Extra charges: Some sellers have been adding on substantial "packing
and handling" charges (in addition to the usual expected shipping charges).
Adding $1 or $2 isn't unreasonable. However, except for larger items or
those where the effort is truly monumental, significant additional costs
(e.g., $10 on top of an item that went for $5.00 + $3.20 shipping) may not
be justified. The common translation of this tactic is IPM - Increased
Profit Margin - which isn't subject to eBay's commission and you have no
choice but to pay if you want the item unless you want to haggle - which is
certainly possible. Note that such charges are usually disclosed in the item
description (though I don't know if this is required). If there is no
mention of these added charges, you certainly shouldn't have to pay them.
If mentioned but not the exact amount, email the seller to find out exactly
how much they will be before you bid on the item. If the charge to
ship a 4 ounce item in the USA is $17, there is definitely some IPM involved!

I understand when it costs $100 or more to ship a large frame laser but when
there is a flat $25 fee for shipping, handling, and insurance for something
like a small hand-held power meter, I consider that IPM. Such a device just
needs a decent size box with ample bubble wrap and peanuts.

I've done experiments packing fragile HeNe laser tubes with 2 inches of
packing and then making my best attempts to wreck them including across
room tosses and drop kicking through the uprights. Couldn't do it. Now
I'm not defending flimsy packing - overpackings is always better than
underpacking. When I ship something like a HeNe laser or a power meter,
it will be in a box with at least 4 to 6 inches of packing all around.
Having done more buying than selling, it doesn't cost me anything because
I save all packing materials. So, I've yet to add any sort of handling
charge except for PayPal costs. I particularly love auctions where the
seller talks about the expense of packing and then sends the thing in a
box that's obviously travelled across the continent a dozen times with
1/4 inch wads of previously read newspaper for padding. :)

IMO, one is not supposed to be treating shipping, handling, and insurance
as a profit making operation, that is for the bid price on the item.
I much prefer auctions where the buyer pays the actual shipping cost that
can be checked at the USPS, UPS, or FedEx Web sites. And I understand
the justification for a reasonable handling/packing fee. But some auctions
have taken this to ridiculous extremes and the sellers are obviously
profiting from the extra charges.

Sometimes, the auction listing will quote a ridiculously high shipping cost
that may be 3 times or more what the carrier shown would charge for the
cheapest (Ground) service via their Web site. It won't hurt to contact
the seller and question the shipping charges. They may quote you a price
that's low enough to make bidding worthwhile. The eBay shipping isn't
infallible.

Note that apparently, eBay has no problem with sellers charging flat handling
fees but will cancel auctions that include handling fees based on a percentage
of the final bid price.

Also note that while charges for overseas shipping will be high - perhaps
much higher than you might expect or might like - there are also limits to
what's reasonable there as well. Check with various carriers (e.g., UPS,
FedEx, USPS, DHL) to get an idea of what should be expected.

I would suggest avoiding those sellers that practice shipping,
handling, and packing charge inflation unless the item is so unique that a
similar one won't likely show up again from someone else without the attached
strings. If you really can't live without bidding on an item which includes
significant handling charges, just treat them as part of the bid price when
determining your maximum bid.

Resale Auctions: A buyer grabs up items described as untested,
condition unknown, non-working, or defective in some other way and then
resells them a couple weeks later with a similar or identical description
and even the same photos. Conclusion: Buyer was unable to make the items
do anything beyond what was claimed in the original auction and rather
than being up front and honest, pleads ignorance hoping to find another
sucker. For laser auctions, common items for which this applies are
HeNe or Ar/Kr ion laser tubes or lasers that don't quite work properly
or at all. The usual claim will go something like: "may need mirror
alignment" or "I don't have a large enough or compatible power supply"
or simply "I have no way to test it". If you regularly track eBay (or
other on-line auctions), these sorts of stunts stand out.

Sniping: This very common practice, which is legal but perhaps
upsetting, is for someone to wait in the background until just before the
close of the auction (i.e., eBay auctions terminate at a specific time rather
than until there are no more bids) and then jump in with their bid leaving
no time for anyone to counter it.

There is no guaranteed way to prevent sniping other than by using an
unrealistically high maximum bid or by doing it yourself. I actually
think the rules should be changed so auctions end when there hasn't been
a bid for some specified amount of time (say 1 minute) after the last
accepted bid, or the official ending time, whichever is later - basically
more like "real" auctions. This would be somewhat better for the seller,
only slightly more traumatic for the bidders, and would totally eliminate
sniping as an effective winning strategy. Some other on-line auctions like
Labx apparently work something like
this.

And, you can now snipe (or be sniped) automatically through the use of
Web sites that will do the bidding automatically at the last nanosecond.
Three of these are eSnipe,
Auction Sniper, and
Powersnipe.com. There are
many more. But using one of these is
no guarantee even if the specified bid price would have been high
enough to win. You could still lose an auction if the snipe time is
specified to be too close to the end of the auction and the server is
busy or Internet traffic is high. However, I
wouldn't be at all surprised if this and other similar sniping methods
eventually force auction sites to change their end-of-auction rules as
suggested above. While like everyone else, I don't like to be sniped at
the last millisecond, at least if it's a real person, that's still a fair
game. However, my personal opinion is that automated sniping is not playing
by at least the spirit of the rules, though I may be forced to use
automatic sniping occasionally when I'm not available at the end time
of an auction or don't want to risk forgetting about an auction or falling
asleep, as has been known to happen. :)

Shill bidders: This highly illegal practice means that the seller
under an alias or someone who is working in the seller's interest bumps up
the bid price never expecting to actually buy the item. If the auction
authorities catch on, anyone participating in shill bidding will be thrown
off the auction site - not that this means much since they will likely just
reappear using different aliases. But if they are smarter than a rock, they
will not likely keep any given alias for very long because that will increase
the chances of detection. So, another tipoff would be a Feedback Rating
under 5 or possibly even 0. Unfortunately, the way eBay (and other auction
sites) bidding rules are designed and human psychology works, it is usually
possible to incrementally bump up the bid price to the maximum 'proxy bid
price' with relatively low chances of getting stuck as high bid, especially
if it is done far from the ending time of the auction. (With "proxy bidding",
the potential buyer sets a maximum bid price without actually having to
monitor the bid progress and is notified by email if this price is exceeded.)
And, even should they become and remain high bid by mistake, despite the
disclaimer to the contrary, bids usually can be withdrawn without penalty so
nothing is lost. So, a shill bidder might bump up the price until they
are the high bidder, then immediately retract their last bid with the excuse:
"Entered wrong amount". Again, no penalty, but they now know *your* maximum
bid price but no one else does. So, assuming there are no other bids, they
will know exactly how high they need to go to beat your bid price.

In addition, even if the auction closes with the shill as
high bid, as long as the seller pays the auction's commission, they can simply
attempt to sell the item at a later date without any other penalty. Note that
if that high bid is then retracted, and you are offered the item in s
"Second Chance" auction, it is fair for you to get the item for
what it would have cost had that person not bid at all, not your
maximum bid or something in between! If the starting price for the
Second Chance auction is way above this, think very hard about how
badly you want the item. CAUTION: I've seen some Second Chance
emails that were spoofed and a scam. Make sure any Second Chance
offer directs you to an authentic eBay Web link, NOT something that just
has ebay in the URL or an IP number, OR an email address.

Look over the bid histories of the seller's previous auctions - if the same
name or names show up as second high bid or with bid retractions in multiple
auctions, be suspect. Or, if an item you thought had been sold, reappears
from the same seller without explanation (though this may not mean much as
many buyers do back out despite the bidding contract, which is rarely
enforced. New stricter rules for bid retractions are supposed to make
this more difficult though). Shill bidding is also likely if while bidding
on an auction you notice the bid price creeping up to your maximum bid and
then just exceeding it by the minimum possible increment. If you then submit
another bid, it may not be countered and you will be stuck with the item -
intentionally. And the seller gets a higher price than would have been
likely without the shill's involvement.

Bid shielding: This is somewhat similar to shill bidding in driving
up the price of an item. However, the intent with bid shielding is that at
least two people bid against each-another to drive up the bid price and then
retract the bogus high bids near the end of the auction. The next highest
bid (which could be quite low) then remains. The result is that lower
legitimate bids were "locked out" for most of the auction. Note that
eBay now has stricter rules for bid retractions and they promise to
investigate this sort of suspicious activity.

Value Boosting: A seller and a bunch of friends (or aliases) agree
to bid up the price of a useless item with no one intending to actually buy
it in the hopes that when they list a similar item in the future at a
ridiculously high price, some sucker will pay that price seeing a past
auction that went for even more.

Hot merchandise: Yes, stolen items show up on these auctions. I
can tell you aren't surprised. No one checks out the sellers unless there
is a problem. So if you see something that appears too good to be true, it
may be of questionable origins. This may not only mean outright theft, but
may include acquisitions via dumpster diving as well as (inside) diversion
from a laser manufacturer's production line. Even if the final buyer has no
legal exposure besides possibly having to return the stolen item(s), there are
certainly ethical issues to ponder. Obscured serial numbers are one
tell-tail sign of merchandise of questionable origin.

Although eBay is the most well known general on-line auction company, there
are many others - and new ones popping up (and disappearing) daily. These
may also offer (fixed price) classified type advertisements. However, from
what I've seen, the laser equipment related traffic on these is quite low at
the present time, but they still may be worth checking on a lazy Sunday
afternoon. You may have a better chance with fewer bidders! And, with
the huge number of users of services like Yahoo, there are bound to be
at least a few laser related items for sale at any given time.
Here are two sites:

LabX Magazine. This has a lot of
general laboratory gear and occasional lasers and related equipement.
In addition to the auction, they have classified style 'for sale' and
'wanted' listings.

Government Liquidation
From model airplanes to tractor-trailers. I'm not sure why I'm
including this here but you never know when a 100 kW CO2 laser might
show up. :)

There are also sites appearing that are a cross between regular on-line
auctions and good old flea markets or swap meets. Compared to eBay, the
traffic on these is microscopic but it could be a growing trend. I don't
know whether there is enough - or any - laser related stuff on these
currently but they are probably worth watching.

Of course, regular low-tech industrial auctions may also turn up some laser
related equipment and prices could end up being quite attractive where other
bidders are more interested in things like steel shelving, NC machine tools,
and front-end loaders. :)

And, the U.S. Government (and others), businesses, and universities, may
auction or sell unneeded equipment or excess inventory periodically or
continuously. While this is more likely to be beat up office furniture and
obsolete PCs, laser related items may also be present. For example, the
University of Utah Surplus Property
Page lists several pieces of laser and optics equipment. The general
public may get to pick over what is left after those connected with the
University buy what they want but who knows? You could end up with a 10 kW
CO2 laser for $10 if no one else bids on it. :)

(The following is mostly from: Jonathon Caywood (sarlock@twcny.rr.com).)

Experiences with on-line auctions vary. I've done some dealing on eBay and
have had very good experiences in selling and buying with no problems.
However, I am aware of people who have had unfortunate experiences buying from
certain people. There are always going to be some bad apples with something
like this. I usually will dig into someone's profile a bit before I will
purchase from them. I check their feedback (indicated by the number which
follows their account name, click on the number) and look to see what type of
feedback they have. Needless to say, someone with 100+ comments, and no
negative feedback is usually good to deal with. But people selling what you
want don't always have such high feedback.

A few useful things to check on:

Contact the seller way before the end of auction (and before you bid) to
find out the condition, does it work, does it not work, how old is it, model
number, all the parts attached?

Know the value of what you are wanting to buy. Often, you will get
someone who is willing to bid much more than the unit is worth(i.e., what
you can get it for used, etc.) and that ruins the auction for you, be patient
though, something else is bound to show up. I doubt the world is in
danger of running out of used HeNe lasers or vacuum pumps.

If the seller claims that it works fine, check to see if they will
guarantee the unit against DOA (Dead On Arrival)? On fragile items like
large gas lasers, they may not. But with something rugged (relatively) like
a variac or a vacuum pump I don't see any problems with this request.

Watch out for shipping fleecing. Yes, these things are sometimes very
heavy and are expensive to ship, but ask the seller where the unit is
comming from (zip) and who they will be shipping it through. Then go to
the shipping services website and calculate the shipping cost. Remember to
include a little extra if it requires more than a simple box to ship the
device. Crating can be time consuming and no fun. But if the seller wants
to charge you 60 bucks shipping/handling on something that costs $30 to
ship, I'd be wary and ask questions.

Some of my personal rules I use as to who to deal with, and who not to
deal with:

Pictures of the object from all sides is definitely nice. I check out
pictured items a lot more than items without pictures. I like being able to
see the current state of the unit. Of course, make sure the photos are
actually of the exact item you will be getting, not a similar one or
something in pristine condition when what's for sale is rusty and caked
with mud.

Someone with a good feedback record. 1 or 2 bad feedbacks out of 20 to 30
good ones is somewhat negligible. However, someone with 1 or 2 bad feedbacks
out of 5 or 10, I may be more wary about and use common sense when dealing.
Someone with a real email account is a plus and it's even better if they
provide an address or phone number to contact them directly.

Quick response to email. Someone who responds quickly to e-mail *may*
also be quick to ship. :) I give a little extra room for weekends as a
company may not have someone checking mail over the weekend.

And, I always try to pay by trackable methods, Money Orders are my usual
method of payment, this gives me a receipt to check out, without giving
someone personal information like a check provides. (Since this was
originally written, Paypal has become the most common easy payment method
on eBay. I'm not sure about the effectiveness of their dispute resolution
procedures though. --- Sam)

Dealing on eBay is a bit of common sense, knowledge of what you're buying,
research, and well - a small amount of luck. :)

I have been a member in good standing with eBay since 1999. As readers
of Sam's Laser FAQ are probably aware, I have acquired a large number of
lasers and related items on eBay, most at bargain basement prices. All in
all I have been very satisfied with the eBay experience. Until now.

For a blow-by-blow saga of what I'm experiencing now, please go to
Sam's eBay
Horror Story #1. I will be updating this as it plays out. I expect
the outcome to be satisfactory, but the route it's taking is like one
of those nightmares where you're trapped on a 15 dimensional mobius strip.
Someone suggested that that was better thanbeing trapped in a 15 dimensional
Klein Bottle but I'm not so sure. The latter sounds more interesting. :-)

In early 2017, I "discovered" a cute little model airplane engine in a drawer
that I was cleaning out to make room for other stuff. So, I figured
I'd sell it. After a bit of searching on eBay, $100 seemed like a decent
price. It was listed with a "Make Best Offer" option. This is item #
302258406665: "SUPER TIGRE G30 2.5 cc R/C Airplane Engine with Propeller
no Glow Plug". (Not that the specific details really matter.)

It was sold via a German eBay site to a German buyer on March 19, 2017
for $90 + shipping.

The item was shipped one day after payment in a Padded USPS Flat Rate
envelope via Priority Mail International and was promptly lost by USPS
between post offices in the USA before going overseas. This is the first
time USPS has ever lost anything shipped or received by me.

Checking the USPS tracking # LK010178498US shows the last entry to be:
"March 20, 2017, 11:25 pm Arrived at USPS Facility PHILADELPHIA, PA 19116".
The eBay Ship-Cover insurance paid the claim within 2 days no questions asked,
so they were satisfied of its authenticity. I still don't know if USPS
will refund the cost of shipping it.

However, as soon as I notified the buyer that USPS has lost the item and I
was attempting to find out what happened, and made every effort to keep the
buyer informed of what was happening, he opened a case and left nasty negative
feedback without any effort to work things out: "Breaks purchase contract,
never get items". To which I replied on the Feedback forum: "Shipped 1 day
after payment, package lost by USPS, buyer informed, refund given".

I had even given him a discount on shipping because the eBay shipping
calculator was too high. That's really appreciation. :( My only consulation
at this point is that now the buyer looks foolish and petty since he
hasn't responded to my explanation on the public forum.

Multiple attempts at communications by myself directly via Messages and
direct email, and by eBay failed to produce any response.

After an official request to him to change feedback, his response (translated
to English) was: "Item was resold, not lost as claimed". This is in Messages
to me, not on the public Feedback forum. Of course there is no basis for this
claim.

What does he think? I decided I didn't want to sell it to him and somehow
arranged for USPS to lose it? Really. :) Normally, such a blatantly false
statement would be considered a lie or fraud. I challenged him to post
proof on the Feedback forum but so far he hasn't taken the bait.

Now I understand that if he had made this statement via the public Feedback
forum, it might be grounds for eBay to remove the negative feedback. But
since it was only done in reply to the Decline request via email, it would
not be. This seems absurd. A certifiably false claim doesn't become any
less false when made in private in response to a statement that is public
(my reply on the Feedback forum summarizing what happened).

If a 10 cent transaction goes sour, there are mechanisms for eBay to resolve
it. However, where a bad feedback is left by a nasty or delusional buyer,
there is apparently no recourse. At least, that is what I was told by
more than one eBay phone representative. I realize that in the grand
scheme of things, it makes little difference, but I had been nurturing
my 100 percent feedback rating for something like 16+ years. Now, it
has been ruined by someone for totally irrational reasons. I can understand
him being upset at not receiving his item. But the negative feedback doesn't
affect eBay, it doesn't affect USPS, but it does affect me. But the cause
was totally outside my control.

And now there doesn't seem to be any way to contact eBay to escalate this
to a higher level. The type of contact supported in 2017 is only via phone or
the eBay Community (which might sympathize but could do little). I did
post a similar decryption there with no response: Buyer-left-negative-feedback-and-now-cannot-be-contacted.

Laser Sales and Service Companies

This list is devoted to those companies that are not really manufacturers but
are mainly involved in the buying, selling, distributing, service, and/or
refurb of lasers and laser systems. However, some of them may also develop
equipment themselves or even provide a variety of consulting services, though
this probably won't be their primary specialty. Others may simply be brokers
("middle persons") for laser and other equipment. You may also want to look in
the section: Laser and Optics Manufacturers and
Suppliers since it wasn't always easy to determine in which list to place
any given company and some distributors of laser products appear there as
well. See the section: High Quality New and
Surplus for additional possibilities including companies selling laser
replacement parts, accessories, supplies, etc.

DISCLAIMER: Product and service descriptions and claims are from the company
literature or Web sites. This listing is NOT necessarily an endorsement of
what they offer! Listing is in alphabetical order by company name.

Argon, krypton, and mixed gas ion lasers. Development of new products
for specific applications. Service of most manufacturers argon and krypton
ion laser tubes. This company was founded by some of the former employees
of American Laser, now defunct.

Ion tube and complete system rebuilds for Ion Laser Technology (ILT) lasers.
New and refurbished argon and krypton-argon laser tubes for and sales of
used lasers ILT. (DZ acquired the entire inventory and manufacturing line
of ILT when they got out of the laser business.)

While not actually a major manufacturer of lasers (they may package a few
with their name), Edmunds Scientific is so well known that I didn't feel
right about leaving them off of this list. They do resell a variety of
HeNe lasers, an argon ion, diode laser modules, DPSS green lasers, laser
pointers of all types, laser accessories. They are a major supplier of
industrial optics and, of course, popular scientific gadgets of every
conceivable description!

Manufacturer of solid state lasers and related equipment for scientific,
industrial, medical applications, with an emphasis on customized laser
systems. The main products are pulsed tunable picosecond systems.

Ion laser cleaning, alignment, repair, and tube refurb; and ion laser power
supply repair for systems from most major manufacturers.

Their Web site also includes a significant amount of information on ion laser
tube and power supply adjustment, alignment, failure modes, troubleshooting,
and repair. Unfortunately, most of this did not work with Netscape V3.04.
Perhaps, it will work with your browser and/or the problems have since been
corrected.

New and used helium-neon, argon and krypton ion, and CO2 laser tubes, heads,
power supplies, and accessories. Also some Nd:YAQ and other solid state
lasers; laser show, welding, and medical laser systems; optics, scanners,
and more. Get your ion laser tubes refilled as well!

Remanufactured Industrial CO2 Lasers with 1 to 3 year warranties, third
party service for Nd:YAG and CO2 Lasers, and a complete inventory of spare
parts for the lasers we sell. Their Web site includes a laser chat room.

Lasers and related equipment, components, and software for laser show and
other applications. Includes: DPSS and other lasers, scanning modules,
small laser display systems, PCAOM devices, optics, etc.

Remanufacture of most any type of glass DC excited CO2 laser and specializes
in RF laser tubes by Coherent, Synrad and most any other manufactures of RF
excited CO2 lasers. They also supply laser field service to many hospitals,
clinics, and doctors offices.

ThorLabs used to have laser diode
technical information on their Web site but it has apparently disappeared in
favor of strictly commercial interests. Of course, it hadn't been updated
for a few years so probably no great loss at this point!
It is still possible to obtain a print copy of their complete catalog which
may include "Thor's Guide to Laser Diodes" from their web site or by writing
to Thorlabs at the address shown in the section:
Some Laser and Optics Manufacturers and
Suppliers.

Large electronics distributors are gradually improving their selection of
laser diodes, diode laser modules, and components. For example,
DigiKey now carries a half decent
assortment of models from Coherent, Lumex, NVG, Panasonic, and others.

Laser and Optics Manufacturers and Suppliers

This list is for companies that actually manufacture and/or distribute and/or
integrate lasers, and laser and photonics components. For sales and service,
see the section: Laser and Optics Sales and
Service Companies (though some may have slipped in here as well -
particularly if they also are a manufacturer). So best to check out both.
Also see the sections in:
Laser and Optics Related Web Links for lists
and directories of manufacturers of lasers, optics, systems, equipment, and
components which may be even more comprehensive.

Note that the alphabetical listing may go by the historical company name
rather than what they are called now after 17 mergers and acquisitions -
or something in between. For example, Agilent - which used to be Hewlett
Packard and is now called Keysight - is listed with the "A"s. :)

DISCLAIMER: Product and service descriptions and claims are from the company
literature or Web sites. This listing is NOT necessarily an endorsement of
what they offer!

Aerotech used to manufacture HeNe lasers and components. They are now
primarily involved with positioning mechanics, linear motors, rotary motors
and drives, motion controllers, and laser interferometers. The helium-neon
laser product line of Aerotech was acquired by the Laser Group of
Melles Griot. These products
include power supplies, laser heads and unique, patented single frequency
adapter technology.

Aerotech is listed here mainly for reference should you come across one of
their HeNe tube, laser heads, power supplies, or other related items.

Manufacturer and supplier of just about everything for electronic test and
measurement equipment, and life sciences and chemical analysis. Of most
relevance here are two-frequency HeNe lasers and complete solutions for
interferometry-based metrology applications. Formerly Hewlett Packard, and
now as of 2014, Keysight.

Designeer, manufacturer, and supplier of high power laser diode manufacturer
offering single emitters, multi-element modules, bars and stacks in any
configuration from 635nm to 2 microns. Also provides opto-mechanical
sub-assemblies that incorporate optics, drive electronics and cooling.

Manufacturer of nonlinear-mirror modelocked lasers and advanced diode-pumped
solid-state lasers (modelocked, CW and Q-switched). They are also a supplier
of a large selection of optical and laser components, and laser accessories.

Supplier of HeNe, CO2, YAG, and other lasers, laser and non-laser
cutting systems, more. May be a reseller of Meredith Instruments' HeNe
lasers since their Web site uses the same photos and have similar
specifications.

China based supplier of laser optics and other related components and kits.
Includes vanadate and YAG crystals, non-linear crystals, and optics for
DPSS lasers. The authorized distributor for CASIX in the USA is
U-Oplaz Technologies, Inc..

Other divisions of Coherent, Inc. include the Auburn Group (Coherent-Ealing,
Optics, and Instruments), Medical Group (lasers and fiber optic delivery
systems) and Lambda Physik
(excimer and dye lasers and laser dyes).

Tunable single frequency lasers in the 2 um range: 2047 to 2059 nm for
Tm,Ho:YLF, 2008 to 2018 nm for Tm:YAG, and 2020 to 2030 nm for Tm:LuAG.
Laser based eyesafe IR dopppler radar and other remote sensing systems.

Provider of engineering services in the area of conceptual design, detailed
design, product implementation and project management, expanded to include
diode pumped lasers and laser control systems. Standard products include
microchip DPSS lasers, drivers, and and other system components.

Design and manufacture of high power single-frequency lasers, efficient
frequency converters, extremely stable and low-noise lasers, and in the
automation of highly complex laser systems for robust remote operation.

Merger of General Scanning and Lumonics. Laser based systems for
manufacturing (drilling, welding, machining, marking) using CO2, excimer,
and solid state laser technology. Also, optics and fiberoptic components.

Manufacturer of high power visible and IR laser diodes. These include single
emitters and bars in open heatsink, packaged, collimated, and pigtailed
configurations. Standard and custom parts available.

Manufacturer of semiconductors for industrial and consumer applications
including sensors. They used to have high power CW and pulsed laser diodes
but these are now available from OSRAM
Opto Semiconductors.

Manufacturer/Supplier of plastic fiber optics, LED and detectors, and
custom LED and photodetector components; as well as
laser and fiber optic training modules, kits, equipment and supplies
for Grade 3 through University level. They have now taken over the
Metrologic educational laser business but it is not known how many of
the same Metrologic models will be offered.

Manufacturer and supplier of optics, lasers and positioners in India including
standard and made-to-order products like lasers (diode and HeNe), optics,
micro positioners, kinematic mounts and educational kits for research and
industrial applications.

Manufacturer of a wide range of solid state laser components specializing in
pretested systems, subsystems and customized laboratory laser systems.
Site include many references to solid state lasers (but they do not appear
to be on-line).

Supplier of lasers, optics and fibre optic equipment. (Other divisions in
France, Germany, and Belgium may be found through the Laser 2000(UK) Web
page or directly at the Laser 2000
International Homepage.

Manufacturer of power supplies for Helium-Neon, argon ion, and carbon dioxide
lasers, and tungsten and gas discharge lamps. (Search for "HeNe" or "Argon"
or "Laser" as appropriate. Their Website is in disarray.)

Formerly part of Siemens. They sold their line to Zeiss, then there was a
management buyout. Lasos now manufactures a good portion of the HeNe and
argon ion laser product line. The Lasos Web site includes specificaitons
for many of the common Siemens lasers and power supplies. They also offer
DPSS lasers.

Manufacturer of opto and photo-electronic components including some
laser diodes (it looks like Lumex has cut back on their laser diode
offerings, perhaps to phase them out entirely). They now offer mostly LEDs
photodetectors, LCD displays, gas tube devices, and light pipes.

MICOS specializes in innovative systems and components in micro-and
nano-positioning, photonics and laser-technology. They offer a complete
range of standard products as well as experimental kits used in education
and research.

UK's National Measurement Institute is a world-leading centre of excellence
in developing and applying the most accurate measurement standards. Includes
development of several iodine stabilized HeNe lasers, now supposedly
manufactured by Hexagon
Metrology.

Supplier and manufacturer of innovative optoelectronic components and
products to the industrial, medical, telecommunications and defense
markets in the UK, Europe and USA including Optowell VCSELs, Opnext
Laser Diodes, and Panasonic Lenses.

Manufacturer and supplier of phase masks, high power metal masks, apodization
masks, hydrogen loading system, fiber grating simulation tools and other
optoelectronic components, fiber optics and micro optics products. Includes
low and high power laser diodes, and photodiodes and other sensors.

Manufacturer of photonics instrumentation, from components to complete
fluorescence systems. Their Web site includes on-line operation manuals
for some of their products including N2 and dye lasers and a frequency
doubler.

Manufacturer of an innovative line of diode-pumped solid state lasers and
carries out contract research and development on advanced solid state lasers
and associated nonlinear optics. Their Web site also has many technical
papers on solid state lasers and related topics.

Supplier and distributor of a wide range of optronics products including
CO2, DPSS, YAG, and diode lasers, power supplies, and complete laser
machining systems. Also laser and optical components, and relevant
accessories.

Manufacturer of laser gain materials such as Nd:YAG, Nd:YLF, and ruby;
non-linear crystals, including KNbO3 for frequency doubling; and
polarization optics such as quartz waveplates, rotators, and thin film
polarizers.

Manufacturer/supplier of lasers including HeNes (up to 100 mW!!, and some
stabilized single and two-frequency), HeCd, CO2, DPSS, tunable Ti:Sapphire.
Also laser accessories, crystals, optics and
optics assemblies, and monochromators and spectrometers.

Manufacturer/supplier of a variety of HeNe lasers including
stabilized Zeeman-split types for metrology and dual-mode types for laboratory
applications, as well as non-stabilized HeNe lasers and other related items.
The Zeeman-split lasers include the WT307B/C/D which are clones of
HP/Agilent 5517B/C/D. They also repair lasers from HP/Agilent, Zygo,
and others.